NORTHBROOK, Ill. ��Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced�on Monday�that UTEP quarterback Ryan Metz one of 146 nominees for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Work Team, a prestigious off-the-field honor in college football.
�Allstate is immensely honored to partner with the AFCA for the 10th�year to help pay tribute to these players and their off-the-field �good works� that often go unnoticed and unrewarded,� said Thomas Clarkson, president of the west territory for Allstate Insurance Company and a member of the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team�voting panel. �The individuals nominated to the 2017 Good Works Team�are making a positive impact and uniting communities across the country through service, showing what�s possible when you put all hands in and give back.�
The El Paso native is known for his on-field achievements and has also made an impact off the field. The junior completed 25 hours of community service hours last season, while the signal caller is known for volunteering his time to children in the community. Metz volunteered over 15 hours at children�s camps, where he assisted with football drills and activities for the future gridiron greats.
Metz was also a member of Project MOVE, where he played with children in the community in various activities like kickball, football and soccer. Metz is active in assisting with the football team�s weekly dinner with the Child Crisis Center. Metz, along with his teammates, spend time with the children in the Crisis Center, playing, working on homework and eating dinner together.
The student-athletes nominated for this esteemed award embody the true spirit of teamwork and selflessness, donating their limited free time to helping and serving others. From founding a non-profit that helps orphans secure jobs in the workforce to raising funds and awareness for childhood cancer research, the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team��nominees may wear different jerseys on the field, but they all exemplify a superior commitment to giving back off of it.
Comprised of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA, the final roster of 22 award recipients will be unveiled in September. From the nominees submitted by sports information directors across the nation on behalf of their schools, a special voting panel consisting of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team�members and prominent college football media members will select the 2017 Good Works Team.
Two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner and 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team�member Tim Tebow will headline the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team�voting panel.
Once the final team members are announced in September, college football fans are encouraged to visit the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team�website on ESPN.com, featuring profiles and images of the players, for the opportunity to vote for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team�Captain. Throughout the season, fans can also follow along and join in on the conversation by searching and using #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels.
In order to meet the criteria, set forth by Allstate and the AFCA, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.
Metz has also excelled in the classroom, as he�s a three-time Conference USA Commissioner�s Honor Roll recipient with a 3.34 GPA in Mathematics. Metz completed 64.7 percent of his passes, ranked third in C-USA in 2016, while it�s the program�s second-best single-season performance. His 14 passing scores were the most for a UTEP quarterback since 2010.
Recently, Metz was one of 45 national collegiate quarterbacks, and the first UTEP quarterback, to be invited to the 2017 Manning Passing Academy supervised by the Manning Family (Archie, Cooper, Peyton and Eli). The camp was a four-day event that started on June 22 at Nicholls State University in which over 125 prep, college and professional coaches, counselors and staff members were involved.
Fractures of the process of the lower spine or upper thoracic spine are often referred to as clay-shoveler’s fractures.
Initially reported in 1940, these fractures were described among employees in Australia who dug drains in clay soil and also threw the clay overhead with shovels. The mud wouldn’t discharge from the spade, causing excess power to be transmitted into the supraspinous ligaments and leading to an avulsion fracture of one or more spinous processes.
The following frequently describes the mechanism of injury for clay shoveler’s fractures. The contraction of the paraspinal and trapezius muscles on the ligaments along with the attachment to the spinous processes make this a common injury during athletics with a flexed position of the shoulders and neck. The consequent fracture or apophyseal avulsion is painful and frequently requires a visit to the doctor, together with plain films, computed tomography (CT) scans, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirming the identification.
Often a period of rest will allow a return to activity, although treatment of these fractures hasn’t been clarified. We present a collection of adolescent athletes who underwent surgical interventions to treat the fracture of the spinous process, after rest and physical therapy with persistent symptoms.
Contents
Surgical Intervention Study
Dr. Hedequist operated on 3 patients using a spinous process nonunion within the study time period. The patients’ average age was 14 years; the location of the spinous process fracture was the T1 vertebra in all patients. Two patients sustained the injury while playing hockey and one while wrestling. The average duration of symptoms before surgery was 10 months; all patients had seen physicians without a diagnosis before test in institution. All patients had a trial of physical therapy and all had been unable to return after trauma to pain.
Examination of patients showed pain directly over the fracture site and accentuated by forward flexion of the neck and neck. Evaluation of harm plain films revealed a fracture fragment in two patients (Figure 1). All 3 patients underwent CT and MRI scans confirming the identification. MRI confirmed areas of increased signal at the tip of the T1 spinous process, with inflammation in the supraspinous ligament directly at that area (Figure 2). The CT scans confirmed the presence of a bony fragment correlating with the suggestion of the T1 spinous process (Figure 3).
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Surgery was performed under general endotracheal anesthesia using a midline incision over the affected region down to the spinous procedure. The supraspinous ligament was opened showing an identified and ununited ossicle, which has been removed without taking down the ligament. All 3 nonunions have been noted to be atrophic with no evidence of surrounding inflammatory tissue or bursa. The residual end of the spinous process was smoothed down with a rongeur. Standard closure was performed. There were no surgical complications.
All patients had complete relief of pain at followup; 1 individual returned to full sports activity at 6 months and the other 2 returned to full sports activity at 3 months. There was no loss of peripheral movement or trapezial strength at follow-up. All patients expressed satisfaction together with the decision.
Discussion
Clinical practice suggests that most patients with spinous process fractures will become pain-free; however, that is not universal. This series demonstrates that a tiny subset of patients with this trauma will continue to have significant symptoms despite a period of rest. In those patients who want a yield to sports, we recommend consideration of surgical excision after confirmation of nonunion with studies. The inherent risks of surgical treatment are minimal with this procedure, and the advantages include return for athletes, with the physical and psychosocial benefits to pain-free sports activity.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Automobile Accident Injuries
Whiplash, among other automobile accident injuries, are frequently reported by victims of an auto collision, regardless of the severity and grade of the accident. The sheer force of an impact can cause damage or injury to the cervical spine, as well as to the rest of the spine. Whiplash is generally the result of an abrupt, back-and-forth jolt of the head and neck in any direction. Fortunately, a variety of treatments are available to treat automobile accident injuries.
Fractures of the cervical spinous processes are considered to be rare injuries. Isolated spinous process fractures are even rarer instances, some of which are rare injuries in rare case reports. Approximately xixteen percent of isolated process fractures of the cervical spine involve more than one level. Isolated cervical spinous process fractures are in fact, commonly referred to as clay-shoveler’s fractures.
The term “fracture” can be employed in medical scenarios that deal with a broken bone. This can vary from acute breaks to small fractures, or anything which will impact the integrity and stability of the bone.
Bone fractures could result from numerous distinct situations. Women in particular that suffer from osteoporosis or other conditions, or older people, may lose strength in their bones, making them more fragile and vulnerable to breaks and cracks, even with minimal impact. As the bones have not fully grown, young children are also vulnerable to bone fractures, particularly because they frequently participate in activities that heighten the risk of injury.
However, falls, automobile accidents, and also a number of other dangers can lead to bone fractures, and depending on the severity, these may often require a range of short and long-term treatment options.
Contents
What is a Clay Shoveler’s Fracture?
A clay shoveler’s fracture is an avulsion fracture of the spinous process. It happens with flexion of the head, like that reported with automobile accidents, diving, or even wrestling injuries. It also occurs with repeated stress caused by the pulling of the trapezius and rhomboid muscles on the cervical and thoracic spinous processes. Repetitive and forceful muscle contraction breaks the spinous process and pulls the avulsion segment away from the original spinous process.
A clay shovelers fracture commonly occurs from the cervical and upper thoracic spinous processes C6, C7, and T1. The avulsion and fractures are caused by damage or injury from direct blows to the base of the neck. This is usually a stable fracture and doesn’t create any additional deficits.
X-ray examination of the spine can help diagnose a clay-shoveler’s fracture. On the lateral side (side view) x-rays, an oblique radiolucent fracture line could be seen through the base of the spinous process. It’s more likely to maintain the trunk or distal tip of the lower cervical and upper thoracic spinous process. Serrated edges or rough margins are generally seen with the fractures, which distinguishes it from nonunion of this secondary growth centre of the process. Additionally, bones from the head and neck would not be displaced or have the serrated margins. The distal portion of the fractured spinous process is often displaced downward (caudally or poor). This is due to the pull on the avulsion segment of bone.
Chiropractic Care for Clay Shoveler’s Fractures
Chiropractors can help alleviate some of the long-term and immediate concerns associated with bone fractures, such as clay shoveler’s fractures. A chiropractor may not perform treatment procedures to the fracture until the damage or injury has started to heal and inflammation is reduced. A chiropractor can help with compression techniques which are beneficial in maintaining the bone in place for healing. A chiropractor may also advocate wellness techniques, such as appropriate diet, and this will optimize the body’s ability to restore its original health and wellness. Chiropractors may also educate a patient on a variety of exercises and stretches to reduce the likelihood of complications and which, if done properly and at fixed intervals, will promote quicker recovery.
The advantages of seeing a chiropractor for wellness and health are many and well documented, but chiropractors are particularly effective as first line and treatment practitioners for bone fractures of any sort. When many kinds of fractures and acute breaks may require immediate therapy, a chiropractor can help rebuild strength and ensure proper recovery, which makes the chiropractic procedure an excellent cure and ensuring long-term good health.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Automobile Accident Injuries
Whiplash, among other automobile accident injuries, are frequently reported by victims of an auto collision, regardless of the severity and grade of the accident. The sheer force of an impact can cause damage or injury to the cervical spine, as well as to the rest of the spine. Whiplash is generally the result of an abrupt, back-and-forth jolt of the head and neck in any direction. Fortunately, a variety of treatments are available to treat automobile accident injuries.
Americans love dining out al fresco when the summer weather is so perfect. But don’t let restaurant food throw a monkey wrench into your healthy eating plan. Dining establishments can be ticking time bombs when it comes to sabotaging your nutrition.
In fact, government surveys say that that the food you typically eat when you are not at home is nutritionally worse in every way than your own kitchen fare.
“Eating out can be challenging, but shouldn’t limit your social life,” Dr. Craig Title, a top New York City weight loss specialist tells Newsmax Health. “Here are some tips I share with my clients.”
Be prepared. Like a good scout, select your meal options before you get to the restaurant by checking the menu online. “You’ll make a more level-headed, healthier choice,” says Title.
Eat a little beforehand. Don’t arrive at the restaurant famished. Make sure you have eaten a small meal or two earlier in the day.
Nix the bread. Instruct the wait staff NOT to bring out the bread and butter basket. “Out of sight, out of mind,” says Title. “Ask for celery and carrots sticks instead.”
Drink water. Down one full glass of water as soon as you are seated to help you feel fuller sooner, which will make you eat less.
Ask for it your way. Dining out is not the time to be a meek consumer, notes Dr. Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and coauthor of the book, “Restaurant Confidential.” His advice: “You need to be assertive and asked for your food to be prepared they way you’d like it and very often the restaurant will comply.” For example, choose grilled fish over fried and extra veggies instead of French fries.
Go for healthier fare. Order from the “light” or “low fat” section of the menu. Many chains, even Chinese restaurants, offer lighter fare with nutritional info on the menu.
Make salad more than a side. Order a salad with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and treat it as a first course, before you eat anything else. Scientists at Pennsylvania State University found that people who ate a big green or veggie salad before their entree consumed fewer calories.
Order double appetizers. This is especially rewarding when you’re dining at a seafood restaurant with sumptuous starters. An appetizer order of oysters on the half shell and another of steamed shrimp makes a complete and low-calorie meal along with your salad.
Avoid high-calorie dressings. Keep your salads tasty but healthy by shunning anything in a creamy high-calorie sauce and using raw or marinated vegetables, like artichoke hearts and mushrooms, for extra flavor. Skip the cheese and bacon bits, too.
Do the fork dip. Keep your salad dressing on the side and dip your fork into the dressing before skewering a forkful of salad. This makes the lettuce taste great and you won’t soak the greens in dressing.
Have the fish. When CPSI evaluated food served at seafood chains and independent restaurants they found many low-fat and low-sodium options on the menu. Just don’t order it fried. Stick to steamed, baked, broiled and blackened or grilled.
Read the fine print. Pay attention to words like “breaded, crisp, sauced or stuffed” as these indicate loads of hidden calories, much of it saturated or even trans-fats. Other words of caution are, “butter, pan-fried, Newburg, Thermidor, and cheese sauce.”
Limit alcohol. Instead drink soda or seltzer water. Enjoy one glass of wine or beer with your meal and order coffee or tea for dessert.
Skip the fancy drinks. Pass over the umbrella specials such as margaritas and Mai Tais and other exotic mixed drinks as they are chock full of sugar. Opt instead for a glass of vodka, wine, a light beer or a simple martini if you must imbibe.
Choose fruit for dessert. Title suggests sharing the finale with your date. Fresh fruit, like strawberries or blueberries, during the hot summer months makes an excellent dessert without any guilt.
“Most importantly, enjoy your food,” says Title. “Chew slowly and take time between bites. Focus on the occasion and the people you are dining with, rather than just the meal.”
Is coconut oil a metabolism-boosting superfood or an artery-clogging threat to heart health?
That question has fueled a raging debate for many years, and it was reignited in mid-June when the American Heart Association (AHA) issued an advisory reiterating its longstanding recommendation to avoid saturated fats. Attention quickly focused on coconut oil, which has become trendy in natural health circles despite its high saturated fat content.
Proponents of coconut oil say its medium-chain triglycerides are quickly burned for energy, increasing metabolism. Coconut oil fats are also said to be good for the brain, which is made mostly of fat, and help regulate blood sugar and, ironically, cholesterol levels.
But the AHA advisory contends that all saturated fats raise risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Taking into consideration the totality of the scientific evidence…we conclude strongly that lowering intake of saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats, will lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease,” states the advisory.
The AHA researchers specifically advise against using coconut oil, which they note is 82 percent saturated fat and raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, “a cause of atherosclerosis.”
But many other scientific reviews in recent years — including one meta-analysis encompassing nearly 350,000 people followed for as long as 23 years — found no link between saturated fat and heart disease.
“Those reviews were much more limited because they didn’t take into consideration what the substitution [for saturated fats in the diet] was,” explains Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, co-author of the AHA advisory. “The better reviews that looked at replacing saturated fat with either carbohydrates or mono- or polyunsaturated fats, show clear differences.”
Many natural health practitioners take exception to the AHA conclusions, including integrative cardiologist Dr. Jack Wolfson. He contends that AHA researchers cherry-picked data from decades-old studies, and that branding all LDL as harmful is outdated science.
“Total LDL numbers are a very poor prognosticator of heart disease,” says Wolfson, a doctor of osteopathy and board-certified cardiologist based in Phoenix, Ariz. “What’s more relevant is LDL particle size and numbers. Small, dense particles are bad for the heart, but studies show that large fluffy particles, like those promoted by coconut oil, cause no harm.”
But Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tuft University’s Human Nutrition Center on Aging, dismisses the LDL particle size factor, saying, “There’s much more written on the Internet about that than data to support it.”
Wolfson further questions AHA recommendations to use “highly processed” vegetable oils, saying their omega-6 fatty acids can contribute to systematic inflammation. In an AHA newsletter, the advisory’s lead author, Dr. Frank Sacks, suggests that people forsake butter and coconut oil for cooking and use canola, corn, soybean, and extra virgin olive oil instead.
“There’s nothing wrong with deep frying as long as you deep fry in a nice unsaturated vegetable oil,” Sacks adds.
That suggestion may send shudders through natural health practitioners, who widely contend that vegetable oils break down into harmful compounds under high heat.
“Coconut oil has a high smoke point, which makes it more stable for cooking,” explains Wolfson. “Unsaturated vegetable oils oxidize through the cooking process and cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.”
Lichtenstein once again cites a lack of data on the adverse effect of cooking with vegetable oils, telling Newsmax Health, “It’s not a concern.”
Wolfson also points out that the evolving science of heart disease seems to be shifting away from cholesterol and more toward inflammation as the primary cause.
“The risk of a cardiovascular event – heart attack, stroke and dying — is much higher when you have inflammation,” says Wolfson, author of “The Paleo Cardiologist: The Natural Way to Heart Health” and advocate of eating diets similar to our caveman ancestors.
“Coconut oil doesn’t cause inflammation. Sugar, artificial ingredients, pesticide residue in food…these are the types of things that cause inflammation.”
He emphasizes that it’s important to eat healthy saturated fats that are organic and, if animal-based, come from grass-fed pasture-grazers. Wolfson adds that he has history on his side in the debate over whether they are healthy or harmful.
“Our ancestors ate saturated fats for millions of years,” he tells Newsmax Health. “Why would evolution make it plug up our pipes and kill us? People in the South Pacific have diets that are more than 50 percent coconut-based, and they have virtually no heart disease. If we were all on a deserted island eating coconuts, fish and vegetables, and getting plenty of sunshine and sleep, heart disease would be a non-issue.”
Did you know that flavored yogurt in the United States has a lot more sugar than it does in other countries? That’s because our national sweet tooth is out of control. And the more sugar we eat, the more we want.
Studies show that replacing sweet foods with sugar-free versions doesn’t help. Artificial sweeteners don’t satisfy a sugar craving.
The answer is to reset your taste buds for less sugar. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, you can do this over a short amount of time, just as it’s possible to reduce a desire for salt.
Cut back on the amount of sweets you eat every day, but do it gradually. Some experts say going cold turkey can lead to a binge later on. Resist temptation by limiting the cookie and candy stash in your kitchen cabinets. Add fruit to your diet — you’ll be getting nutrients along with the sweetness, something processed sugar won’t give you.
Begin your day with a nourishing breakfast that includes protein. Buy unsweetened foods like plain yogurt, plain rolled oats, and 100 percent whole grain cereal, and sweeten them yourself. Just a sprinkle is all you need. Don’t start the sugar cycle with a donut or pastry.
Finally, exercise. Research has found that, in addition to health benefits, exercise starts a chain reaction that lowers your desire for unhealthy, high-calorie foods.
Making better choices will help you break the sugar cycle. You’ll be satisfied with low-sugar foods and appreciate sweets more as occasional treats.
Coming off a historic season, the UTEP Hockey Club announced they will host Northern Arizona University Ice Jacks in their 2017-18 season home opener on October 13, 2017.
“Opening up against the NAU Ice Jacks will be a very good test for our club. They were 1 of 2 representatives from the Western Region to automatically qualify for Nationals. Our club knows they will be looking to improve from last year just as much as we are. We played one of our best games last season against them in January. It should make for an exciting opening home stand,” comments Coach Herman.
Last season the Miners hosted the Ice Jacks in their second home weekend of the season. The Miners swept the series with a win on Friday (5-2) and Saturday night (4-2). In late January the Miners met Northern Arizona in a three game matchup. The Miners lost game one (2-0) but swept the rest of the weekend against NAU to cap off the final road trip of the season.
Game time is TBD. The two game series will be played at the El Paso County Events Center.
The Miners finished 7th in the Western Region while NAU finished 2nd, qualifying both teams for post season play at the ACHA Tournament.
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The UTEP Athletics media relations office was recently honored by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) with a “Super 11” award, given annually to the best performing sports information departments in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
“I would like to congratulate our media relations staff for this tremendous honor and thank them for all their hard work,” said UTEP Director of Athletics Bob Stull. “In particular, I would like to recognize Director of Media Relations Denise Mata and Assistant Director Drew Bonney, who do an exceptional job heading up the media relations effort for football. The media relations staff puts in long hours on gameday, arriving a few hours before kickoff and staying for a few hours after the clock runs out. We appreciate their dedication to consistently providing outstanding service.”
UTEP joined Air Force, Arkansas State, Miami (Ohio), Oklahoma State and Tennessee as first-time winners. Also on the list were Clemson, Colorado, Navy, Nebraska and USC.
“Our organization believes this award is one of the most important tasks that we do each year,” said Tim Griffin of Cox Communications, the FWAA’s 2010 president and the head of the Super 11 committee.
“There are many outstanding SID staffs across the country. But these 11 departments we are honoring are consistently exemplary beyond expectations. We hope these awards help to showcase them.”
Criteria employed in determining the winners not only included how press boxes and media operations were operated, but also the quality and timeliness of information provided.
Also judged was the amount of information presented and appropriately updated on websites, and personal responsiveness to media inquiries as well as the accessibility of a program’s players, coaches and assistant coaches.
The ratings considered those departments that went the extra mile in servicing the media.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,300 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game.
The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.
This year’s awards, the eighth annual, were presented for the 2016 season.
Sen. Charles Schumer is urging federal regulators to look into a “snortable chocolate” powder, saying he’s worried that it could prove harmful and is being marketed like a drug.
In a letter Saturday, the New York Democrat asked the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the use of caffeine in inhalable food products such as so-called Coco Loko. It’s gotten buzz in recent weeks.
Schumer, the Senate minority leader, says there are too many unanswered questions about a product pitched under the innocent-sounding name of chocolate.
“This suspect product has no clear health value,” he said in a statement. “I can’t think of a single parent who thinks it is a good idea for their children to be snorting over-the-counter stimulants up their noses.”
Marketed as “raw cacao snuff,” Coco Loko includes cacao powder, which comes from beans used in making chocolate; they contain some caffeine. Manufacturer Legal Lean Co. doesn’t detail other ingredients online, but according to news reports, Coco Loko also includes common energy-drink ingredients.
It promises feelings of well-being, mental focus, ecstasy-like euphoria and a rush of “motivation that is great for partygoers to dance the night away without a crash,” according to Orlando, Florida-based Legal Lean’s website. It notes that the claims haven’t been vetted by the FDA.
The agency has said it hasn’t yet determined whether it has authority to regulate snortable chocolate.
Legal Lean Co., which sells Coco Loko online for $19.99 for a 1.25-ounce (3.5-gram) tin, did not return a call seeking comment. Founder Nick Anderson has said he didn’t consult any medical professionals but believes Coco Loko is safe. He said he developed it from snortable chocolate that’s circulated in Europe in recent years.
“There’s really no negative publicity, so I felt we’re good to go,” he told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday.
Doctors have said they’re not certain what the effects of inhaling chocolate might be.
New research has found that acupuncture could be effective as a tool to aid weight loss.
Carried out by the School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) of Hong Kong Baptist University in cooperation with the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, the study looked at 72 participants, 13 males and 59 females, aged between 18 and 68.
All participants had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or above, and had not used any other weight control measures or any medication in the three months before the trial.
The team randomly assigned the participants to two groups for the controlled trial — either the “real acupuncture group” or the “sham acupuncture group.”
All participants completed a total of 16 sessions of acupuncture treatment over an eight-week period.
The treatment included certain acupoints in the body — the areas where needles are inserted and manipulated — including areas on the abdomen and the lower limbs.
The participants also received auricular acupressure in the ears targeting the auricular points of Hunger, Shen men, Spleen and Stomach. According to Chinese medicine, these acupoints can restore and harmonize the flow of energy in the intestines as well as transform body fluid and expel phlegm.
After undergoing the acupuncture treatment, the team found that the “real acupuncture group” showed a 2.47 kg decrease in average weight and a decrease of 1.56 kg/m2 in average BMI.
The most successful result recorded was a participant who lost 7.2 kg with a drop of 3.2 kg/m2 in BMI.
On the other hand, the “sham acupuncture group” had an average weight loss of just 0.54 kg with an average lowering of 0.19 kg/m2 in BMI.
Dr Zhong Lidan, who worked on the study, suggested that the weight loss may be due to acupuncture having a stimulating effect on serotonin and beta endorphin, which suppresses appetite and increases lipolysis activity — the breakdown of lipids — resulting in weight loss.
She added that the trial could be used as the basis of future larger studies, paving the way to integrating acupuncture in a weight-loss or weight control program.
The results also come just days after a study published in the journal Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine appeared to find a reason why acupuncture is an effective treatment for relieving pain.
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