Acupuncture

Remaining Vigilant while Transitioning Gracefully from Fall into Winter

One myth or misconception is that ticks are not present during the winter.  After seeing so many ticks in late spring into early summer and then again, but maybe less so, at the beginning of the fall, we must still remain vigilant all year round.  According to the SUNY Upstate Medical University website, “ticks don’t die in the winter, they go into dormancy around 35 degrees and hide in perfectly formed igloos under leaf litter. As soon as the frozen ground thaws and the ground temperature reaches 45 degrees, ticks will begin to emerge in seek of a host for blood feeding. And if the weather gets bad again, they seek shelter, but they don’t disappear.” 

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Curious About Acupuncture?  Here’s What to Expect

If you’re curious about trying acupuncture and have any reservations, rest assured it is a wonderful experience.  Usually the first thing people want to know is—does it hurt?  For the most part, no it doesn’t, sometimes you barely feel it, and here is what else I tell all new patients...  The needles are very fine and thin, like a few strands of hair thick, kind of like a dog’s or cat’s whisker.  They are either inserted with a guide tube or ‘free handed’ by the acupuncturist.  Because the needles are so thin and the insertion is swift, sometimes you do not feel it at all, or if you do it is just a tiny poke that dissipates.  If it stays feeling sharp, tell us, we will adjust or remove it.  After that, you may sometimes feel a dull ache or pressure sensation that comes to the needle, then goes away within seconds.  This is a good sign, we call this the arrival of the Qi or energy to the point, it is being activated, energy is moving, and if in a sore muscle, those fibers are releasing.  Sometimes you can feel a warming, spreading or travelling sensation, but it is not an electric sensation, we know where nerves are and we avoid them, we are not stimulating nerves, we are stimulating designated acupuncture points. 

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Supporting Lyme by Calming the Mind

One of the basic concepts of integrative, naturopathic, and Chinese medicine is that given the right conditions and support, the body has an inherent ability to regulate and heal.  This can take a long time when something as noxious as Lyme disease and its co-infections have set in, but healing is possible and we are here to support you.  Chinese medicine works with the body’s life force, not against it.  When the body and mind feel fragile, hypersensitive, and exhausted, acupuncture can help relieve physical and emotional discomfort by toning down pain and heightened anxiety, and nourishing the depletion of chronic disease to not only relieve fatigue but build stamina and reserves

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Understanding Compassion

I came across a writing from renowned Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn titled “Understanding”. In it he described a common position we may take with our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers with regard to helping in the name of being loving or compassionate. Without understanding a person’s suffering and where they are coming from, we may overstep and transgress by assuming that...

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Take Charge of Your Thyroid Disorder with Acupuncture Pressure Point #17: The Small Intestine

As a complete system of medicine, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treats and supports not only pain, which is what brings most people in, but in fact anything health and medically related, including endocrine issues such hyper- and hypothyroid.  The approach in diagnosis and treatment is much different than a western medical doctor, of course, but one that can be integrated into a healthcare plan to help encourage healing and even thriving.

Chinese medicine attributes many functional aspects to the organs that do not always correspond to how western medicine explains how they work.  In Chinese medicine the organs create, regulate, and circulate Qi, blood, and body fluids as well as help to transform, move and excrete food, fluid and substances.  The Spleen, for example, has almost nothing in common with the biomedical spleen, and is more closely related to the pancreas, although this organ is not mentioned in Chinese medical texts.  

With any one disease, an acupuncturist will look for

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Setting an Intention: Mental Health Tips

Simplicity is the antidote to complexity. In light of the experience of anxiety, depression and racing thoughts, simplicity helps the mind to gain clarity and settle down.  A mistake that can be made while setting an intention is the assumption that you won’t be met with challenges. As is shown in the tai ji symbol, challenges are unavoidable.The tai ji symbol (yin/yang symbol) shows us the law of nature where there is a balance of opposites. Where there is change, there is stability, where there is day...

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Integrating Chinese Medicine into Cancer Care

Chinese medicine can be an important and incredibly helpful addition to breast cancer treatment. Most people just think acupuncture is what a licensed acupuncturist can offer, but we are also trained in herbal medicine, nutrition, bodywork and Qigong meditation and these are all things that can be incorporated into your treatment plan and care, from prevention, to treatment, and to recovery and moving on with your life A cancer diagnosis is all consuming... Read More

The Kidney: The Body’s Energy Foundation

During ancient times, the Chinese medical doctors who had the least ill patients were considered the best. Traditionally, the practice of Chinese medicine was used to prevent disease, maintain health and contribute to longevity as well as to treat all kinds of illnesses. So, receiving regular acupuncture treatments can not only help prevent the occurrence of many diseases, but help you live longer. Treatments can help strengthen the body to improve immune function, inhibit disease growth, protect the organs to ensure their healthy functioning, and calm the mind and emotions.

Simply by living our lives and aging there is a natural amount of depletion we experience, so it is important to find ways to continually build our bodies and minds... 

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Move More, Age Less

Our bodies need movement to function optimally. Movement stimulates the lymphatic system, helps blood circulation, increases energy, decreases anxiety, improves sleep, and keeps muscles and joints working properly.  Technological advances have made our lives easier, but the downside is a tendency to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting at a computer all day, binge watching television (we don’t even have to get up to turn the channel) and driving instead of walking are just a few examples...

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Aging & Organ Health: Goji Berry’s Role

When we think of anti-aging herbs we look beyond herbs that simply address the skin and consider those herbs that address a dysfunction in the body. Aging is not just the breakdown of skin but also the breakdown of organ functioning and their communication with the other organ systems in the body. One of the herbs that comes to mind is gou qi zi (pronounced ‘go- chee-tze’). Gou qi zi, a.k.a. goji berry, has been used classically to address aging related issues such as visual decline. You will find this herb as a common addition to formulas that address ‘kidney and liver deficiency.’ For the goji berry, youth preservation ties into healthy organ function, immune function, cellular nourishment and the mitigation of cellular damage.

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