Jan
2014

Kristen Sparrow, MD Medical Acupuncture 

Ancient Medicine Made Modern


Water front from Pier 14
SF City Sights: Waterfront from Pier 14
 A Happy and Healthy New Year to all!
Lots of health news of late and will try to cover some of it in this issue, which means lots of links for you...
Readers who have been with me for awhile know that I try to highlight good alternatives for common health problems, but also to point out overblown and oversold traditional medical solutions.  Surgery: ineffective for back pain, recently discussed on National Public Radio.  ADHD: oversold and over treated. (see below)  Blood Pressure: Standards too strict, and have been relaxed.(see below)  Pills: 50% of effect has been shown to be placebo.  Knee surgery for knee meniscal problems may also be placebo.
These are interesting times indeed, so stay safe and consider healthy alternatives.  
 

My motto, from the Hippocratic Oath: First, Do No Harm !!

Do give me a call and come on in for a visit for what ails you, or for a tune up for Spring Allergies.  I look forward to seeing you ! 
Always more at the blog.  

 

  
Kristen

Celebrity Acupuncture Files

 Super model Elle Macpherson said in an interview with UK tabloid, News of the World, the she maintains her health and well being from a Chinese Medicine Perspective. "It promotes and maintains wellness rather than treats illness."
So true!!

 
Fitness and Health Files
Mindfulness Training for Weight loss
 Transfats: a complicated history
Mindfulness training may help to improve weight loss along with diet and exercise training.


This expert's long battle against transfats, and his endorsement of eggs and butter! 
 
 

Ancient Medicine Made Modern
Acupuncture Research Files
  

This article explores continuous ear stimulation in patients with depression and correlates stress levels with Heart Rate Variability,  (my area of interest and expertise.)
A concise summary of acupuncture's mechanisms for pain relief from this Anesthesiology Journal.
This article shows acupuncture helps patients with dementia, perhaps an argument against acupuncture as placebo?


First, Do No Harm
Selling ADHD, Easing Blood Pressure Standards, Drug Hazards, Antibacterial Soap Must Show Efficacy

An article outlining the selling of ADHD as a diagosis and the problems.  Blood Pressure can be 150/90 in patients 60 years and older before requiring treatment.  A drug being used on patients in a clinical study for heart attacks had to be pulled because it caused more heart attacks than the placebo. The negative studies had been buried.  Anti-bacterial soap must show efficacy because of the health problems it can cause.  


Steve Jobs' Doctor
There must be more to this guy than this article presents. It's hard to argue with much of it, but most is common sense.
Dr. David Argus

Here's the first paragraph (the numbers represent some of his rules) from Wired Magazine. 
"It's 6:30 on a Monday morning and already David Agus is doing an admirable job of sticking to the rules. Dressed in the no-nonsense uniform that one of his patients, the late Steve Jobs, encouraged him to adopt and wear daily-gray slacks and a black sweater over a white dress shirt-the pioneering biomedical researcher and oncologist meets me outside his hotel on West 56th Street in Manhattan with a large Starbucks coffee(1) in his hand and a big smile(2) on his face. Already he's gone for a brief morning run(3), and his activity levels are being monitored by the black Nike Fuelband(4) on his left wrist. The previous evening he dined on king salmon(5) at Café Boulud, finishing it off with a fine Cabernet(6), and, as he always does, he took a statin(7) and a baby aspirin(8) before falling asleep. Though he hasn't eaten breakfast,(9) he looks freshly scrubbed(10) and is wearing comfortable shoes(11.) In his new book, "A Short Guide to a Long Life", he prescribes 65 rules we should follow to achieve better health; in the past 18 hours he's accomplished a solid 10." 
 
Smile more. Wear comfortable shoes. Exercise. The only thing I strongly disagree with is the routine use of statins. First, Do No Harm. Statins are NOT risk free.  
Contact
Kristen Sparrow, MD
2000 Van Ness Ave Ste 506
San Francisco, CA  94109
415.775.0117
www.ksparrowmd.com 

Dr. Sparrow provides innovative treatments combining ancient Chinese medicine with cutting edge scientific research to provide relief of pain, mood imbalances, immune disorders and stress.