Flex Spending and Health Savings Accounts cover Alternative Medicine

Use Your Health Savings, Flexible Spending or Medical Savings Account forAcupuncture, Massage and More



Julee Miller, AP, DOM,LMT
Health Pointe Jacksonville
3840 Belfort Road #305
Jacksonville, FL 32216
(904) 448-0046/ www.hpjax.com

The year is almost over and now is the time to look into getting a
flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), or medical savings account (MSA).

Did you know that you can use these accounts for a variety of things…including Acupuncture, Therapeutic Massage, Natural Healing and Hydrotherapy?

Based on the federal tax code, a qualified expense “must be to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness.”

If you’re like the majority of our clients, you deal with a host of conditions that cause/contribute to chronic pain, stress, and other issues affecting your quality of life. In order for Acupuncture, or Therapeutic Massage to be covered, there are a few steps you’ll need to take:

1.) Get a prescription for manual therapies and/or hydrotherapy. You’ll need a prescription for these for it to count as a qualified medical expense. Talk to your medical practitioner (any healthcare provider who can write a prescription). The prescription makes it medically necessary and should be covered.
Make sure the prescription contains the proper information. The prescription should contain three pieces of information: Length of treatment, duration, reason for prescribing therapies.

2.) Schedule your appointment. You won’t need to bring your prescription with you.

3.) Get a “medical receipt” for your session. When you check in, let us know that you’ll need the receipt to submit. We’ll give you a receipt that has the documentation you need (such as insurance classification code and description of the therapeutic service). We can either print the receipt or e-mail it to you. And remember that even though an expense is approved, you could still get audited by the IRS. So keep your written prescription and your FSA debit or credit card statement.


If you don’t have an FSA or an HSA and are wondering what they are, here are some broad definitions:

A flexible spending account (FSA) is a tax-advantaged financial account that allows an employee to set aside a portion of his or her earnings to pay for qualified expenses, most commonly for medical expenses, and is offered through an employer’s cafeteria plan. Money deducted from an employee’s pay into an FSA is not subject to payroll taxes, resulting in a substantial payroll tax savings. The medical expense FSA (also medical FSA or health FSA), is similar to a health savings account (HSA), but medical FSAs are commonly offered with more traditional health plans. With most FSA, you must use up your funds each year.

An HSA is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to people who are enrolled in a high deductible health plan. The funds contributed to the account are not subject to federal income tax at the time of deposit. HSAs are owned by the individual, and funds may be used to pay for qualified medical expenses at any time without federal tax liability. Unlike an FSA, funds roll over to the next year if not spent.If you don’t have one of these accounts, look into them now and reap the benefits!Health Savings of AmericaUS Govt GSA info

Acupuncture and Menopause

Qi Mail™The Acupuncture Newsletter
October 2009

Julee Miller AP, DOM, LMT
Health Pointe Jacksonville, LLC3840 Belfort Road, Suite 305
Jacksonville, FL 32216
904-448-0046 /www.hpjax.com


Acupuncture and Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health with Acupuncture

With its close understanding of the female body, Oriental medicine has always addressed the special needs of women throughout their lives. Menopause, in particular, is an area in which Oriental Medicine shines. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine have the ability to detect energetic changes that occur in the body and quickly relieve uncomfortable symptoms that accompany the onset of menopause.

What is Menopause?
Menopause is a transitional period marking the cessation of ovulation in a woman’s body. Most women stop menstruating between the ages of 48 and 52, but symptoms can begin as early as 35. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and are brought on as our bodies try to adapt to decreasing amounts of estrogen. Symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, memory loss, vaginal dryness, headaches, joint pain, and weight gain.


From an Eastern Perspective
According to Oriental Medical theory, menopause occurs when a woman’s body begins to preserve blood and energy in order to sustain her. The kidney is the organ system in Oriental Medicine that is viewed as the root of reproduction, vitality and longevity. Menopause signifies the depletion of the fertility essence stored within the kidneys. Blood and essence from the kidneys are conserved and cycled through the body to nourish the woman’s spirit and extend her longevity. Thus, in Oriental Medicine, menopause is seen as true change in life from mother to enlightened and wise being.


Treating Menopause with Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Few areas of women’s health stir up as much confusion and debate as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), which is normally started when the first symptoms of menopause appear. While HRT may alleviate hot flashes and prevent osteoporosis, they may also increase the risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, and have a number of significant side-effects. But HRT isn’t the only solution, Oriental medicine has long recognized that health and vitality can be sustained over a woman’s lifetime by restoring balance within the body and supporting the natural production of essential hormones.


Lifestyle and Dietary Instructions
Menopause patients are encouraged to maintain a healthy weight and to follow a diet with a high content of raw foods, fruits and vegetables to stabilize blood sugar. Some foods may exacerbate hot flashes or increase mood swings; steer clear of dairy products, red meats, alcohol, sugar, spicy foods, caffeine, and don’t smoke. Lastly, try to eliminate stress, tension and anxiety or learn techniques to cope with stress so that you can diminish the effects that it has on your body and mind. With support from Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine along with small changes in lifestyle and diet, menopause can be a time of a revival of vital energy and an opportunity for personal growth. Please call with any questions or to schedule a consultation.

Study on Acupuncture for Hot Flashes

Acupuncture reduces nighttime hot flashes caused by menopause, according to a study published in the journal, Fertility and Sterility. Researchers found that seven weeks of acupuncture treatment reduced the severity of nighttime hot flashes by twenty-eight percent among menopausal women compared with a six percent decrease among women who had a sham acupuncture treatment.

The effects of acupuncture vs. a sham acupuncture treatment on the severity and frequency of nighttime hot flashes were compared. Taking part in the study were twenty-nine menopausal women experiencing at least seven moderate to severe hot flashes per day.

All of the women underwent nine treatments from trained acupuncturists in sessions over seven weeks. Twelve of the women received real acupuncture using points selected to target hot flashes and sleepiness. The rest of the women received a sham acupuncture treatment using non-penetrating needles at random acupuncture channel points.

Throughout the study, the women reported the number and severity of their hot flashes. The results showed that nighttime hot flash severity decreased significantly (twenty-eight percent) among the women who received acupuncture vs. a six percent drop among the women who got the sham treatment. However, they did not see a similar finding in the frequency of nighttime hot flashes between the two groups.

Researcher Mary Huang, M.S., of Stanford University, and colleagues say the results suggest acupuncture deserves further study as an alternative treatment for menopausal hot flashes. Source:Huang, M. Fertility and Sterility, September 2006; Vol. 86: pp. 700-710. News release, American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

Cold and Flu Season: Boost your Vit. D levels now

In light of the upcoming Cold and Flu Season, I've come across some valuable information on the importance of Vitamin D in prevention and treatment of the cold and flu as well as numerous other chronic diseases. Please take a look at what Dr. Joseph Mercola, D.O. and board certified Family Practioner has to say on the subject (for more information please go to www.mercola.com).

Have a Happy and Healthy Season,

Dr. Julee Miller AP, DOM,LMT


Dr. Mercola's Comments:

As the advent of the experimental swine flu vaccine program draws near, I want to highlight the information coming out that confirms the importance of having sufficient vitamin D levels in order to limit your chances of contracting the swine flu, or any other influenza for that matter.
Dr. Cannell, who is a leader in the field of vitamin D research and education, points out that the CDC unwittingly supports the theory that your vitamin D levels likely play an equally important role in the swine flu as in other types of seasonal flu.
According to the CDC’s statistics, the H1N1 flu has killed 36 children in U.S., and of those, almost two-thirds had either epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or some other neurodevelopmental condition like mental retardation.
All of these neurological conditions are associated with childhood vitamin D deficiency, Dr. Cannell observed, which could also have made them far more susceptible to flu complications.

The Connection Between Your Vitamin D Levels and Contracting the Flu
Previously, Dr. Cannell has published a very credible hypothesis that explains the seasonal nature of the flu.
His findings were first published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection two years ago, followed up with another study published in the Virology Journal last year.
His hypothesis was then confirmed by another study -- the largest and most nationally representative of its kind to date -- that involved about 19,000 Americans. It too found that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu.
The positive correlation between lower vitamin D levels and increased risk of upper respiratory tract infections was even more pronounced in individuals with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Part of the explanation is that vitamin D creates over 200 antimicrobial peptides in your body that serve as natural broad-spectrum antibiotics, so when your vitamin D levels fall, you also reduce your natural capacity to ward off colds, influenza and other respiratory infections.
During flu seasons, vitamin D levels in your blood are typically at their lowest point due to lack of exposure to sunshine.

At least four other recent studies show this inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and 25(OH)D levels. That is, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections:
A 2007 study suggests higher vitamin D status enhances your immunity to microbial infections. They found that subjects with vitamin D deficiency had significantly more days of absence from work due to respiratory infection than did control subjects.
A 2009 study on vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection confirmed a strong, positive correlation between newborns' and mothers' vitamin D levels. Over 87 percent of all newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state. Newborns with vitamin D deficiency appear to have an increased risk of developing ALRI, and since the child’s vitamin D level strongly correlates with its mother’s, the researchers recommend that all mothers optimize their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, especially in the winter months, to safeguard their babies' health.
A similar Indian study published in 2004 also reported that vitamin D deficiency in infants significantly raised their odds ratio for having severe ALRI.
Another 2009 report in the journal Pediatric Research stated that infants and children appear more susceptible to viral rather than bacterial infections when deficient in vitamin D. And that, based on the available evidence showing a strong connection between vitamin D, infections, and immune function in children, vitamin D supplementation may be a valuable therapy in pediatric medicine.
Most American Children and Teenagers are Vitamin D Deficient
It’s been shown that vitamin D deficiency in American teens is very common. According to one recent study, only 25 percent of more than 3,500 teenagers, aged 12 to 19, had levels higher than 26 ng/ml, and 25 percent had levels lower than 15 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state.
And in another study that included 6,000 American kids between the ages of one to 21, 9 percent had vitamin D levels less than 15 ng/mL, and 70 percent had less than 30 ng/mL.
As you may recall, the optimal level of vitamin D is far higher than the conventionally recommended level of 30 ng/ml.
Ranges calculated based on the values of healthy people in tropical or subtropical parts of the world, where they are receiving healthy sun exposures, shows that your optimal vitamin D level is likely to be in the 50-65 ng/ml range.
Canada Leads the Pack, Studying Vitamin D’s Impact on Swine Flu
After studying the role of vitamin D in severe seasonal influenza, Canada’s Public Health Agency (PHAC) has confirmed that it will now adapt their research to investigate the role of vitamin D in protection against swine flu.
Unfortunately, it may take years before we see the results of their findings, and in the meantime, little or nothing will be done to promote vitamin D by conventional medicine.
I strongly suggest you don’t wait for their results to come in, as there is already abundant evidence showing that your vitamin D levels play a role in your likelihood of getting the flu.
Also, let’s not forget the fact that there is also abundant evidence showing that flu vaccines do NOT protect you from the flu, and one recent study found it had no impact on pediatric flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during the flu seasons studied. In fact, the researchers concluded that "significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting."
In addition, a systematic review of 51 studies involving 260,000 children age 6 to 23 months also found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo.
So if hedging bets, I would bet that optimizing your vitamin D levels will offer far greater advantages and protection than getting a flu shot – whether it’s a seasonal flu vaccine or a swine flu vaccine.
You Can Use Vitamin D to Treat the Flu, Too
If you were to maintain your vitamin D levels within the optimal range of 50-65 ng/ml, you would likely avoid being affected during the cold and flu season entirely.
That said, if you are coming down with flu-like symptoms and have not been on vitamin D you can take doses of 50,000 units a day for three days to treat the acute infection. Some researchers like Dr. Cannell believe the dose could even be as high as 1,000 units per pound of body weight for three days.
Ultimately, your best bet – not just for cold and flu prevention, but for the prevention of an astounding number of common and often chronic diseases – is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D year-round.
To find out even more important information about vitamin D, I strongly recommend you watch my one-hour free vitamin D lecture along with my video on vitamin D’s role in flu prevention.


PLEASE REALIZE THAT VITAMIN D IS A FAT SOLUBLE VITAMIN SO YOU NEED TO TAKE IT WITH FOOD THAT CONTAINS FAT!
IT IS NOT WATER SOLUBLE. THAT MEANS IF THERE IS NO FAT BEING DIGESTED WITH IT IT WILL NOT BE ABSORBED.