It comes as no surprise to me that Swiss researchers found that quitting smoking was much easier for people who almost died of a heart attack but they did even better with a month-long program. Follow-up seems like a pretty lame intervention when dealing with adults until the data is considered. People really do better when someone else is looking over their shoulder. This is really about community. When other people are in the fight with you, it's much more likely you'll be happy and successful. I can see patients as part of my family and a community or as distant "consumers." The community orinetation yields greater rewards for everyone involved.

The British Medical Journal just released a study yesterday that showed acupuncture improves the rate of in-vitro fertilization. I've been using acupuncture in my practice to support hormonal treatments for years and have always thoughht that the high rate of pregnancies we see in our practice are a result of truly integrated medicine. Working with fertility specialists and maintaining an excellent health status for women makes much better sense than just "drugging and hoping!" I've seen the heartache that infertility creates and I love seeing the babies who cure the "ache." The acupuncture treatments that target the adrenal and other hormonal systems seem to be the most effective. In this study they actually did acupuncture while they were transferring the embryo. That's what I call putting it all together!