Fears and Phobias

About 10% of the population suffers from one or more phobias. They can cause intense fear and often severely limit the lives of those who have them.

What is a phobia?
For our purposes, a phobia is any "excess fear" over and above normal caution or concern.

Our fears are essential...to a point. They are important to our survival. Without them we might walk off the tops of buildings, eat arsenic or play tennis on the freeway. They are automatic mechanisms that kick into place when danger is afoot. They step on the brakes for us and keep us from harm.

But sometimes fears overdo their function. They go well beyond the normal boundaries of caution and create an unnecessary fear response. It is one thing, for example, to be cautious when you see a snake or a spider..Some of them are dangerous and could cause you harm..But it is quite another thing to experience a pounding heart, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweat, tears or a long list of other excessive fear symptoms. These latter responses are useless in that they contribute no more to your safety than does normal caution. They are "excess fear" and serve only to create misery for the phobic person.

It is that "excess fear"...the useless part...the part that is above and beyond normal caution or concern...that we define as a phobia.

All phobic responses are negative emotions caused by a disruption or imbalance in the body's energy system. Correcting these imbalances often lead to rapid and even permanent correction of the problem.

The Treatment Plan
At ACUPUNCTURE ONE each patient receives their own individually tailored treatment plan which may include traditional acupuncture or psychological acupressure techniques to optimize your emotional health.

Emotional health is absolutely essential to your physical health and healing - no matter how devoted you are to the proper diet and lifestyle, you will not achieve your body's ideal healing and preventative powers if emotional barriers stand in your way.

NEWS OF INTEREST

Acupressure for Repetitive Strain - Acupressure is a traditional healing therapy that involves the application of finger pressure to specific acupuncture points on the body. Pressing on the various points is thought to promote circulation to the area, ease muscle tension and stimulate the body's inherent healing ability.

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The stress and rush of modern daily life can lead to a disorder known as chronic fatigue. Acupuncture and chronic fatigue are a good match because acupuncture is excellent for resolving causes.

Alien Sheng The American Chronicle

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Meta-analysis: Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

A new study into the efficacy of acupuncture.

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Bay area roaster makes stock bid on Diedrich

Coffee Pacifica wants a 66 percent stake of the Irvine-based roasting company.
By Nancy Luna
The Orange County Register

A Berkeley-based coffee bean wholesaler made a bid Monday to buy a controlling stake of Irvine-based Diedrich Coffee.

A Diedrich spokeswoman said the 3 million stock purchase bid by Coffee Pacifica took Diedrich officials by surprise Monday. Beyond that, Diedrich officials declined to comment on the offer, which would give Coffee Pacifica a 66 percent stake in Diedrich.

Diedrich board Chairman Paul Heeschen is currently the largest shareholder. Heeschen could not be reached for comment Monday.

The stock purchase calls for Coffee Pacifica to pay four shares of its common stock for each share owned by Diedrich shareholders, according to a regulatory filing released Monday. Diedrich Coffee shares closed Monday at $4.93, up 31 cents from Friday. Coffee Pacifica shares, which are primarily owned by coffee farmers, closed at $1.72.

Coffee Pacifica officials could not be reached for comment Monday.

"By acquiring stock of Diedrich, (Coffee Pacifica) hopes to guarantee a long-term purchaser of its green-bean coffee," according to the Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Coffee Pacifica markets and distributes premium green bean coffee grown in Papua New Guinea. Diedrich Coffee, which recently sold most of its local retail cafes to Starbucks, has been one of Coffee Pacifica's regular customers.

Coffee Pacifica posted annual revenue of $2.6 million in 2006, up from $749,660 in 2005. The company recently added Jamaican and Ethiopian coffees to its line of products.

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Japan plans nursing home for dogs- Tokyo

Japan will get its first nursing home for dogs with round-the-clock monitoring by doctors and a team of puppies to help aging pooches feel younger, a pet products company said Wednesday. Owners pay 98,000 yen ($800) a month to keep their dogs at the Soladi Care Home for pets, which opens Friday, according to a joint release by Soladi Co. and the Endo Veterinary clinic in Tochigi, eastern Japan.

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Acupuncture can aid smokers

Questions and answers with Toni Bennalley, a licensed acupuncturist with Banner Estrella Medical Center.

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Pet rehab? Yes, you heard right- Getting an old dog to learn new tricks poses unique challenges, but at a Chicago clinic an underwater treadmill, acupuncture and trampoline are giving ageing or injured pets a fresh leash on life.

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Caution: Some Soft Drinks May Seriously Harm Your Health

Research from a British university suggests that sodium benzoate, a common preservative found in many soft drinks, has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

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ACUPUNCTURE: Safe and effective for pain and nausea treatment

June MONEY MAGAZINE
Health Report 2007

First used more than 2,000 years ago in China, acupuncture was introduced in the U.S. in the 1970s and has grown increasingly popular. It's based on the theory that a vital energy flows through the body along 12 pathways and that blockages of those pathways cause pain. NCCAM says that acupuncture relieves pain and helps minimize nausea after chemotherapy or anesthetic. It's also useful for treating addiction, headache, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and asthma. Side effects are minimal. Seeking to treat infertility or cancer? Don't risk precious time by trying acupuncture as your first line of attack. "Anyone with cancer or a life-threatening disease should be under the care of an M.D.," says P. Shane Burras, a licensed Los Angeles acupuncturist and treasurer of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. "Acupuncture," he says, "is a supportive therapy."

It Worked for Them
Two years ago Lauren Campana, sick with mono, could barely swallow. The doctor said she simply had to wait out the illness. Out of desperation, her mother Lori took her to an acupuncturist. To the family's astonishment, Lauren quickly began recovering. Lori then decided to try acupuncture for the digestive problems she had suffered from for 25 years. "Honestly, the next day I felt better," says Lori. She continues monthly treatments and today can eat almost anything without upsetting her stomach. Lori also credits acupuncture for relieving her younger daughter Nicole's allergies. She no longer takes medication, which she had done for 10 years. The therapy has worked so well for the family that Lori is willing to foot the bill, which their insurance doesn't cover. She pays $54 a session thanks to a family discount and estimates that she spent about $900 last year. "For me the price isn't a big factor because I am so happy with it," says Lori.

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When acupuncturist Mike Arsenault's infant daughter was born with eczema, he looked to his acupuncture and herbal medicine training to develop something that would help his daughter and avoid him having to put chemicals or steroids on his baby.

Read the Q&A at the Woburn Advocate

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The last gasp: How to quit smoking

There are a number of approaches to help you quit smoking. In less than a month, England's millions of smokers will no longer be able to light up in bars, restaurants and offices - a ban pioneered by Wales and Scotland. In anticipation of the new law - which bans smoking in enclosed public spaces and workplaces from July 1 - many will try to quit. But it won't be easy. Going cold turkey is the least effective approach with only a 3 percent chance. You're more likely to give up with nicotine replacement therapy, prescription drugs, counseling and support.

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Acupuncture Helps Back Pain Even if Skeptical

CNN.com March 29,2007

An initially dubious reporter found that the centuries-old technique was safe and effective.

If you've ever wondered whether or not acupuncture is actually effective, you'll want to read this first-hand account of a reporter's initial visit to an acupuncture clinic and integrative medical college in Berkeley, California for her sore back.

The first part of the treatment included examining the patient's tongue for a distinct discoloration (purple), which acupuncture experts identify as a sure sign of energy imbalances in the body.

Then came a battery of questions from acupuncture students about the overall state of the woman's health, including sleeping habits and appetite.

Soon after came the actual treatment with 14 needles inserted along treatment points from a fraction to an inch inside her skin. After a 20-minute session, the reporter felt energetic, her back pain was relieved and she felt surprisingly relaxed.

The World Health Organization lists more than 40 conditions for which acupuncture is useful, including addictions, nausea and vomiting, asthma, digestive issues, sinusitis, osteoarthritis, allergies, infertility and pain relief.

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Eczema, asthma, whiplash. I've used alternative remedies to cure them all. Eight million people in the UK suffer from eczema, with many struggling to find an effective treatment. Here, TV actress Julie Graham-best known for her roles in The Bill and At Home With The Braithwaites-tells how she used homeopathy to overcome the condition. Julie, 39, lives in Brighton with husband Joe Bennett, 38, also an actor, and their daughter Edie May, 3, and Cyd, 1.

Read complete interview at the Daily Mail UK

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Singapore zoo heals animals with herbs, acupuncture- Acupuncture for a limping elephant? Herbal tea for a constipated orangutan? The Singapore Zoo has tried it all, and it works. Around 200 animals, including giraffes, elephants, horses, pythons and sea lions, have successfully been treated with acupuncture and traditional herb-based Chinese medicine in the past decade, although Western medicine remains the first line of treatment in the zoo.

See complete story at Reuters Life!

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Patients Speak out on Google Video - This video is a must watch if you want to know what patients are saying about how they feel and what they want from their acupuncturist.

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