There is so much going on right now it’s hard to know where to begin. Please stay tuned for a special bulletin on how to prevent and treat bird/swine flu. I actually have a formula in the works that treats it so stay tuned!

This month, I’m focusing on knee pain because so many people are starting to run again. Warm weather means bathing suit season and wedding season, so people are trying to remove their unwanted “winter coats.” Don’t wait; though I am really good at treating knee pain, it’s harder to treat if you wait until the pain is chronic.

Also, I’m talking about St. John’s Wort, a fantastic herb for treating depression. Prescribed correctly it works just as well as many of the most common anti-depressant medications on the market. Again, this is the real deal and I am confident I can help you here.

Lastly, I’m always talking about balance so this month I’m hosting a wine mixer at Vino100 in downtown Los Altos on Thursday, May 14th from 5:30-7:30 pm. Exercise, acupuncture, and a healthy diet are important, but so is unwinding with a nice glass of wine. You want to live a balanced life, don't you:-)

Yours in Good Health,

Ted

Whether you're a weekend warrior or a casual runner, chances are you've encountered knee pain. Acupuncture can act as an anti-inflammatory for the injured area, keeping swelling down and accelerating the healing process. For the uninitiated, these benefits are similar to icing (keeping inflammation down) and heating (increasing circulation) to a knee injury, except this achieves both at once.

For chronic knee problems like osteoarthritis, many studies have shown that acupuncture is a great tool in managing pain and returning to normal functionality. In one study by the Berlin's Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, about half of patients tested against control subjects rated their pain improvement as 50% better.

St. John's Wort is recognized worldwide as a natural non-pharmaceutical treatment for depression, so much so that it is even available by prescription in Ireland and Germany. Controlled studies have shown that the efficacy of St. John's Wort runs at a similar rate to commercial anti-depressants, though studies show that it statistically comes with far fewer side effects.

While the exact pharmacological connection behind St. John's Wort and depression has yet to be completely defined, research indicates that active ingredient hypericin inhibits serotonin reuptake. If you're familiar with anti-depressant drugs, then you'll probably recognize the term Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). St. John's Wort is nature's version of it.

The use of St. John's Wort for depression is mainstream enough for it to be packaged as a supplement on drug store shelves. However, when I prescribe it, I prefer to use a purer form of extract. Manufactured St. John's Wort is often processed to the point of dilution; by using a purer form ingested through a tincture, its effectiveness is increased through easier absorption.