Articles

The following articles, on a variety of relevant topics, have been written by faculty, staff, students and graduates.

About that Acupuncture Treatment in 1971 …

Many essays on the growth of acupuncture use in America cite a 1971 article by James Reston in The New York Times as the report which captured our collective imagination. However, Reston's was not the first, nor the only, article on acupuncture to appear in the Times. Why was this article special?

Academic Stress and Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy alumna Diane Zeitlin ('91) conducted research that demonstrated reduction in anxiety levels and respiratory rates, as well as increases in function of natural killer cells, in 9 healthy college students prior to important academic exams.

Acupuncture Research Challenges

Acupuncture faculty member Wendy Whitman, L.Ac. discusses the difficulty in using a double-blind placebo-controlled model when trying to evaluate the effects of acupuncture.

Brief History of Massage Therapy

Massage has been a part of most cultures for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Its usefulness is now moving from lore-based accounts to scientific evidence.

Cancer Care and Massage Therapy

When considering the use of massage therapy for cancer care, patients as well as practitioners want to know if massage is helpful and safe. Alumna Niamh Van Meines, a nurse practitioner with a subspecialty in oncology and integrative therapies, reviews some of the research studies that have been conducted.

Classical Chinese Medicine

The Acupuncture Program at the Swedish Institute is based on the traditions of Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM). This approach is characterized by a focus on the historical perspective of Chinese medicine, recognition of multiple styles of practice and the use of more than 70 energetic pathways.

It Takes a Planet: The Worldwide Search for CAM for Children

Contributions by pioneers in the field of integrative therapies for pediatric care—whether from researchers, teachers or practitioners—are increasingly of value as we face changes in the biomedical approach to common childhood illnesses and the growth of problems that drugs can’t fix. 

Massage Therapy for Infant Diarrhea

There is a growing body of research literature on the use of acupuncture or massage therapy in pediatric care. One recent, and particularly provocative, study looked at the use of massage for diarrhea in children in institutional care. Authors of the study reported that approximately two million children younger than five die each year as a result of diarrhea and associated dehydration, usually in developing nations. However, diarrhea is also prevalent in U.S. institutions including daycare centers, where it is the second most common illness.

Massage Therapy: Styles of Practice

Choosing a form of massage therapy or bodywork may depend upon a client’s objectives. Is massage being sought for relaxation, pain relief, or as part of rehabilitation? Is the condition being treated acute or chronic? The following list provides brief descriptions of some of the most common massage modalities and their uses.

Parent Care at The Ronald McDonald House of New York

Anyone who works with pediatric care knows that the state of mind of the parent influences the well-being of the child. About eight years ago the Massage Therapy Program at the Swedish Institute began sending interns to The Ronald McDonald House (RMDH) of New York to offer relaxing chair massage sessions for parents. Student interns go as a supervised group to “The House”, as it’s called by residents, to provide half hour sessions in the Greenhouse.

Stress Management and Chinese Medicine

Excerpt from a lecture on stress management and Chinese Medicine given by Jeffrey C. Yuen, Dean for Academic Affairs of the Acupuncture Program.

Stress Management and Massage Therapy

John Katomski, L.M.T., Massage Therapy faculty member and Director of Special Projects, discusses the pioneering work of Walter Cannon and Hans Selye that defined stress and created the markers so useful today in studying some of the benefits of massage therapy.

Swept Into Action

Stories from September 11, 2001 and the aftermath, when acupuncturists and massage therapists joined an unprecedented volunteer effort to aid rescue and recovery workers.

Therapeutic Effects of Acupuncture Reported by WHO

Excerpt from a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) that reviews controlled clinical trials on acupuncture and identifies common diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has proven to be either effective, beneficial, or worth trying.

Therapeutic Effects of Massage Therapy

A new era in studying the beneficial effects of massage therapy began with the Touch Research Institutes and continues with research that suggests massage works well for stress reduction, pain reduction and enhanced immune function.

Touch Therapy and Music Therapy for Nursing Home Residents

This crossover research project, funded by the NY State Department of Health, looked at touch or music as interventions for nursing home residents with severe dementia.

What is Qi?

Trying to define Qi, or energy, which is at the heart of all Chinese medicine, whether acupuncture, massage, exercise or herbs.

When to Use Caution with Massage Therapy

A list of conditions issued by the New York State Department of Education, which oversees massage therapy licensing, for which practitioners should assess and modify treatment.

White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy

Summary of the ten guiding principles endorsed by the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, commissioned during the Clinton administration to report on the potential benefits of CAM for all citizens.

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