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Alternative Health News
News in Brief
Protecting Our Nation's Heroes From Back Pain; Texas Chiropractic College Partners With PA University; AECC Student Awarded Scholarship by FICS; Palmer Toys for Tots Drive: Nearly $2,000 in Donations; New Career Path for Foot Levelers' Jamie Greenawalt; ChiroTouch: $25,000 to FCP; New Face at CLA.
Recent Report Highlights Growing Dangers of Anti-Inflammatory Medications
In the Sept. 27, 2011 posting of the Biomedical Central Journal: Family Practice, R.J. Adams and colleagues commented on concerns raised by the common prescribing of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.
The Problem With Statistics
I'm not sure when I began to mistrust statistics; I think it was in college in the late "'60s."
Balance Strategies to Improve Health
You already know how complicated the process of human balance is; but are you aware of the simple tools many providers are using to improve their patients' balance?
From a Different Playbook
Just to be clear, the above is not the beginning of my article. On the contrary, it is the beginning of "Seven Ways to Boost Your Income with Medical Activities," an article written for medical doctors that was posted in early December 2011 on Medscape.com.
Managing Sesamoid Injuries
The word sesamoid is Latin for "sesame seed." These small bones are located inside specific tendons, where they improve mechanical efficiency by pulling the tendon farther away from the joint's axis of motion.
The Big C: What Are You Doing About It?
It is the rare to meet a person these days that doesn't have a concern about cancer. Between the constant headlines, to pink ribbons on everything from planes to phones, to hearing that Aunt Stacy was just diagnosed, it is impossible to not be aware of cancer's presence.
Public Health & Gerontology Groups Support CAM
Two large professional groups recently held annual meetings that featured a number of presentations about acupuncture and CAM topics.
Dr. Shi Xue-Min and the Xing Nao Kai Qiao Legacy
To the acupuncture community, Dr. Shi Xue-Min is known as a distinguished acupuncturist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a supervisor of doctoral candidates in China.
Helping Pregnant Patients With Their Pain: Using the Fascial System as our Guide
Pregnant women are frequently at a loss for answers with respect to pain associated with their growing abdomen.
Speaking in Code
At this point, I am certain everyone is aware of the CPT codes for billing acupuncture. However, there have been some recent cases where it is clear that not everyone is following the clear-cut rules on how to define and use these codes.
Do Dietary Supplements Really Increase Mortality?
In an article scheduled to appear in the Feb. 26 issue of DC, I provide the raw data on cardiovascular protection with statin use in the JUPITER trial.
CCE Recognition Extended for Only One Year
A storm has been brewing over the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) for more than two years. It began in mid-2009 when the CCE released the first draft of its Accreditation Standards.
Some Inflammatory Remarks About Manipulation
There is an anonymous quote which reads, "An archer cannot hit the bullseye if he doesn't know where the target is." In the case of some of chiropractic's detractors, that seems to have been the case when it comes to vertebral arteries.

Chiropractors Storm the Capital
On Oct. 29, 2011, a rare early winter snowstorm struck the East Coast of the U.S., blanketing the nation's capital in white. In Washington, D.C., it was the heaviest October snowstorm in history.
Herbs: Revitalizing in Spring to Maintain Youthful Vitality
Spring is the time to revitalize and get moving, but also a time to improve our immune systems so that we can avoid wind-caused health conditions that often proliferate during this season.
Professionalism, Education and Turf Wars
Most professions have discourse about the "professional." Professions define themselves in part by excluding others. I would like to briefly explore professionalism in Chinese medicine.
AAAOM Postpones Annual Membership Conference, Leadership Meeting To Be Held
The decision by AAAOM to postpone its annual membership conference for one year was a difficult one.
OIG Reveals Audit Targets for 2012
Each year, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) releases its annual Work Plan for the fiscal year, which details new and ongoing reviews that will be conducted in federal programs such as Medicare.
The Magic of Microcurrent
In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, I found this definition of the word magic: an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source.
The One-Sport Syndrome
I recall that as a kid, I participated in sports based on the season. In spring and summer, it was baseball and basketball; in fall, it was football; and in winter, it was ice hockey.
The Integrated Components of Stability
Use of the term stability is widespread across the physical and rehabilitative medicine disciplines. Stability is generally referenced as a positive outcome we are looking to achieve in order to help alleviate our patient's presenting complaint.
Understanding the Changes of ICD10
Recently, I have been receiving inquiries about the new codes for ICD10. When do they begin and how much of a change will they be?
The Heart /Kidney Connection
Are you treating health conditions related to or affected by love? This past November I taught at the Pacific Symposium, a large educational conference put on for our industry by the Pacific College in San Diego, Calif.
Using the Channel Systems of Acupuncture to Unravel the Mysteries of Disease Progression
Wind is a philosophical representation of change in the Chinese classics. It is also acknowledged as the root of all physiological disturbance. It is stated in chapter 3 of the Su Wen that wind is "the cause of hundreds of diseases."
We Get Letters & E-Mail
Foundation Ad Rejected by Medical Journals: No Surprise; Why Am I Still Struggling? Let's Use Wikipedia to Our Advantage.
A Fresh Look at the Meric System and Modern Neuroscience
The use of manipulation in the management of biomechanical disorders of the spine may now be regarded as a mainstream approach across health care.
How Chinese Medicine Can Save Western Medicine
Our country is struggling to reduce the cost of healthcare while simultaneously improving its quality and accessibility. I see a partial solution: use Chinese medicine in Western healthcare settings.

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Massage Today
March, 2002, Vol. 02, Issue 03

International Wellness Conference, TAMT Convention Merge in Galveston

By Lynda Solien-Wolfe, LMT

The Texas Association of Massage Therapists (TAMT) held its 2nd annual convention in conjunction with the inaugural International Wellness Conference (IWC) at the spectacular Moody Garden Hotel Spa & Convention Center on Galveston Island, Texas, January 18-22, 2002.

image Pictured (left to right): Vanessa Carpenter: Texas Association of Massage Therapists (TAMT) immediate past president and conference chair, with the "Trenches Panel." The panel addressed "marketing your touch" at the convention:Perry Isenberg, Rickie Mauro, Lori Barton, Roy Desjarlais and Lynda Solien-Wolfe. The IWC program was divided into four sections: the Medical Healthcare Professional program; the Public program; the Spa and Fitness Professional program; and the Massage Therapist program sponsored by the TAMT.

There was also a culinary exposition and expo hall as part of the IWC.

The IWC's Spa and Fitness program started on the afternoon of the 20th and extended to the 22nd. This portion of the program was oriented to learning and sharing of people from the spa and fitness world on how they may assist their clients to "Live Life Better."

The speakers for the Spa and Fitness program were: Janet Abbott; Bethany Kamman; Debbie Kelly; Al Amado; Reenita Malhotra; Sherry Granader; Matthew Wagner; Marian Urban; Irene Heiney; Beth Shaw; James Moore; Denise Dente; Leslee Bender; Michael Effler; and Jonathan Paul De Vierville.

I had a chance to attend one of Stedman Graham's classes. Stedman is the author of You Can Make It Happen and Build Your Own Life Brand. Stedman illustrated how someone's vision can have a greater impact than his or her baggage. His message is to live out of your imagination and not your history to hold a vision of the possibility of a better life for you and yours and to take responsibility and exercise the faith and power you have within you to create that better life. Stedman used the example of how to build your brand to be the best massage therapist in his class:

None of us are defined by our circumstances, nor are we defined by how other people perceive us. It is up to each one of us to define ourselves, and that is a life's work. Each of us has the ability to lead a dynamic life by pursuing our unique goals and dreams. There are no limits to what you can do. - Stedman Graham

image Stedman Graham with TAMT volunteers Teresa Poplaski, Daphney Gregory, Martha Cheshire, and conference speaker Lynda Solien-Wolfe at the TAMT booth. All program attendees were invited to hear the esteemed keynote speakers for the IWC convention: Deepak Chopra, MD; Christiane Northrup, MD; Don Miguel Ruiz, MD; Larry Dossey, MD; Joan Borysenko, PhD; Rachel Naomi Remen, MD; Julian Whitaker, MD; Stedman Graham; Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD; and Loretta LaRoche.

Over 2,000 professionals and members of the public attended the conference; 290 massage therapists attended the massage program hosted by the TAMT.

The theme of the TAMT convention was "Education Is the Key!" Houston-area massage therapy schools and massage therapists volunteered their time to do chair massage for all of the attendees of the conference. Golden Ratio Woodworks donated 12 chairs for the massage area. Speakers were: Brian Bradley; Roy Desjarlais; David Malin; Renee Votta; Deb Gabineaux; Trisha Cruz; Michael Critz; Kathy Craft; Kathryn Watson; John Fanuzzi; and myself. Every attendee to the massage program earned six hours of continued education credits, which is the new requirement mandated by the Texas Department of Health.

The merging of the TAMT with the IWC was a dream of Vanessa Carpenter, TAMT conference chair. She received a flyer from the IWC through the mail and dreamed that night about the TAMT being there. Vanessa stated: "We promised our members to have a conference with quality education to fill the new requirement, and my goal as president was to make the TAMT grow out of the grassroots status it has been in for years and become something bigger and better for all Texas therapists. This opportunity to network with doctors and wellness professionals really felt like the way to do it."

The backbone of the TAMT program was the conference committee of Vanessa Carpenter, Sharon Stump, Renee Crockford and Sara Moore. Rickie Mauro, Lane Tow, Nikki Casey organized the volunteers at the registration and classes. Vanessa Carpenter shared with me that " this was a team effort, and 'thank you's' goes out to Sharon Stump, Renee Crockford and Sara Moore for all of their hard work and dedication in making our most successful convention and a sincere thanks to all that took their time in making the event a hit! We all believe in the TAMT and having a voice in the massage therapy profession."

Special thanks also go to massage therapists Martha Cheshire, Teresa Poplaski and Daphne Gregory, who were there to support the TAMT and help out in all aspects of the convention, and the folks at Gulf Coast Conferences/IWC -- Bob Kibler and Anita Metcalf. They organized most of work for the TAMT. Barbara Walling from the Moody Garden Spa was wonderful at arranging all of the complementary therapies available during the day at the conference, including Watsu, Tibetian meditational, yoga, Ti-Chi, and Brehma, just to mention a few.

The TAMT held a lunch during the conference for all massage therapists attending the program. Prizes were raffled off. The election results were announced and the new officers were sworn in. The new officers of the TAMT are:

President: Sharon Stump
1st vice president: Vanessa Carpenter (also the immediate past president)
2nd vice president: Renee Crockford
Secretary: Barbara Mayfield
Treasurer: Lane Tow
Region 1 rep: Janine Ray
Region 4 rep: Linda Aguilar
Region 2 rep: Rickie Mauro

For information on next year's International Wellness Conference, call (281) 319-4646.

Click here for previous articles by Lynda Solien-Wolfe, LMT.

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