Great article in the Baltimore Sun on acupuncture being used in the military!

Battlefield acupuncture

This could be a really big improvement in the relationship between the medical community and the Complementary and Alternative Medical community!

Wikipedia tells us about Seasonal Affective Disorder:

"Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer, repeatedly, year after year. The US National Library of Medicine notes that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up." The condition in the summer is often referred to as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder, and can also include heightened anxiety"


Many of my patients have had this experience for most of their lives. Here in Portland, when the clouds obscure the sun many days of the year, it can get quite intense. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine can be quite effective at treating SAD, giving you a better state of mental health, assisting you in enjoying the season and relating better to those around you.

As we turn the corner of Winter as the last of the snow melts and the rains come, SAD can get pretty bad. One of my patients, SD says about her treatment:

"I have had SAD for the last twenty years since I moved to Portland. It affected my eating habits and I would gain 10-15 lbs each winter. My relationships were strained and I felt depressed the entire time. I am a nurse and have tried medications, light therapy and many other remedies for this disabling event that happens to me each year. I began coming to Kim last summer to treat migraine headaches. Those headaches are a thing of the past now, but I also notice that with my twice a month appointments for acupuncture, my SAD this year was virtually non-existent! I enjoyed Christmas with my family and as of today, I have gained zero extra pounds! Acupuncture and Kim have changed my life in a way I never thought possible."

Indeed, research does show that acupuncture can be effective, here's some links of extra reading to get you started:
Seasonal Affective Disorder from a TCM Perspective

Alternative Treatments for Depression

If you've been feeling down, having depression and being unmotivated, now is the time to get in and get your body working with you and not against you.

Make an appointment today and start feeling better right now.

Appointments can be made at Tensegrity Health Acupuncture

A great article on Gua Sha.

Many of my patients find that having regular cupping and / or Gua Sha can really help their chronic pain problems. I have devoted much of my time studying this practice and use it regularly.

Make an appointment today to see if this is something that can help you.

My practice is run, aside of a few projects, completely by referrals. 

I believe that building strong relationships with my patients, educating my patients and encouraging them to talk about their experiences with me will serve all of us, you guys as patients, and me as a practitioner very well.

I do the bulk of my marketing through word of mouth, I mean why not do it this way when I am so excited about what I can do for everyone with acupuncture? However, I still keep my eyes open to the marketing field so I can learn to serve my patients better, and so I can see trends in how various strategies work.  

Over the last six months or so, I have been watching Seth Godin.  Seth has some new ideas on how to reach people, whether you are an acupuncturist, a banker or a volunteer in a not for profit organization.  His thinking is fresh and I learn from every post.

Today his blog has a great article on talking about what excites you, about those businesses you like and how that keeps them thriving.

I wanted to share it with you because it shows how tentative business can be for some of us, and how much you make a difference, whether it be at your favorite restaurant, your chiropractor or with your Acupuncturist.  It shows just how much you can be of help to support your local small business owner by telling everyone just how great they are. We all win.

Have you ever found yourself having a cough that wont go away, then searching online to see what it might be and suddenly convinced you have lung cancer?

A new study by Microsoft shows that "cyberchondria" is common because when you search for symptoms, the worst case scenario can be the first result?or not representative of the frequency of a serious illness.

A great way to dispel these mistakes is to actually talk to your health care provider.  Acupuncture can help to remedy many common ailments such as headache, cough, stomach aches and pain.

Having an acupuncture treatment at least quarterly at the change of the seasons can be helpful in keeping your immune system working properly and it gives you a great opportunity to discuss diet and nutrition, exercise and other health habits with them.  Make that appointment today!

Do you have menstrual pain? Acupuncture can help:

The elections were pretty darned exciting for most of us, and I am no exception.

Just a quick pointer:

http://www.change.gov

President-Elect Obama has put up a website for his transition into the White House.  The site is excellent, it has an agenda, biographies of incoming staff, a blog, and much more!

Each of the agenda items has a place for all of us to submit ideas, concerns etc., to the President-Elect's workforce to give him our ideas.

I'm urging each of you acupuncture lovers to write in and encourage him to remember the CAM, or Complementary and Alternative Medicine practitioners!  This would include, but is not limited to:

• Acupuncturists
• Naturopathic Doctors
• Massage Therapists

If these practitioners are remembered in the new health program, we will be ensured the ability to continue to provide the much needed healthcare we all need and deserve.

Write in and support your local acupuncturist!

According to the American Institute of Stress, between 75 and 90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related ailments and conditions, such as headaches, back and neck pain, fatigue, insomnia, digestive problems, depression, and chronic pain syndromes.

All of these stress-related conditions can be effectively treated with traditional Chinese medicine modalities, such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Tui Na, Tai Chi, and Qigong.

Daily life in our culture is simply stressful now.  The body reacts with biochemical responses that can produce heart rate changes such as higher blood pressure, tension in the body, raised heart beat and shallow and fast breathing.  All of these things can reduce relaxation, release of environmental toxins and can result in mental changes that can cause anger, frustration and depression. 

Over time these things can cause physcial illness and even irreversable damage. Acupuncture and other Chinese Medical modalities can relieve symptoms of stress while also looking at the root causes.  We can talk about diet, exercise and lifestyle choices to relieve some of the pressure.


Acupuncture in and of itself can reduce heart rate, increase endorphins and give the patient a quiet, calming time in which to simply Let Go.
If your life is over stressful, or you simply would like a way to manage what stress you have, now is the time to give a call and make an appointment to begin the process of improving your life so that you are healthy and most importantly, happy.

Acupuncture used in surgery for post surgical side effects and pain!

A great video showing the ways that acupuncture can reduce post surgical nausea and pain:

Cold and Flu is upon us, the weather is turning here in Portland to cold and rain and there's no end in sight.  We're returning to school, digging into our winter work and beginning new projects.  The stress in our lives may be hitting a new level of high and with the elections looming, many of my patients are starting to show signs of weaker immune systems. 

Let's talk about the common cold.

Chinese medicine views the common cold as an invasion of Wind. There are two basic types of colds:

1. Caused by Wind Cold. Cold colds produce chills and sensitivity to cold and drafts.

2. Caused by Wind Heat. Heat colds are flulike; they produce fever.

Wind Cold

This pattern exhibits the following symptoms:

•   Fever
•   Chills (these are worse than the fever)
•   Inability to get warm
•   Nasal or sinus congestion with clear mucus
•   Cough with clear mucus
•   Stiff neck and shoulders
•   Occipital headache (back of head)

At the first showing of any of these signs, you should call your Chinese Health Care Provider!  There are many things we can do to keep this invasion from settling in and getting much worse.  A few acupuncture treatments and a course of herbal medicine can get you right as rain in just a few days.

Things you can do:

• Miso soup with the white part of spring onion and fresh ginger.
• Warm teas with ginger and honey
• Hot baths
• Take your herbs

Wind Heat

Characteristics:

•   The fever is worse than the chills
•   The pulse is faster than normal
•   Swollen and sore throat with headache and irritability
•   If there is a cough, it is usually dry or nonproductive, with occasional expectoration of yellow mucus.

When you feel that this is coming on, get into your Acupuncturist right away.  Prevention is the first part of the cure.  Nutrition, acupuncture, cupping, guasha and herbs can change the course of the illness and bring you relief right away.




Things you can do:

•   Adequate rest
•   A vacation from sources of stress
•   Good nutrition in the form of soups and fresh juices
•   Avoid sweets and stimulants (such as caffeinated beverages). They aggravate the condition by feeding the pathogen.
•    Drink warm teas with lemon and honey.

When you re able to treat a cold in the initial state, just when you are beginning to feel out-of-sorts, and acupuncture treatment and a course of herbal medicine can stop the cold from getting in deeper and making you much, much more sick.  When treatment is delayed, the cold will have no options but to pass through its normal stages.  At this point, we can use acupuncture and herbs to support the immune system and this way we can help the progression happen with less pain and discomfort.