Wow, I didn't know acupuncture could treat THAT!

Today I've compiled a list of complaints that many people suffer from, but whenever I mention one of them, I hear, "Wow, I had no idea acupuncture could help with [fill in the blank]. I thought acupuncture only worked for pain!"

10.) Eczema - Though acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help with all types of skin conditions, eczema is one of the more common complaints, and one in which people don't tend to find complete relief through standard bio-medicine.

9.) Allergies - So many of us suffer from allergies. No matter what the allergy (pets, dust, mold, foods, chemicals), it's possible for acupuncture and Chinese herbs to remind your body that it doesn't need to over react to such common substances.

8.) Asthma - It's always important to have medications on hand for asthma, but using Chinese medicine may help you to need your rescue inhaler much less frequently.

7.) Depression - Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help balance your system so that your energy can flow smoothly, allowing for your mood to be stabilized.

6.) Weight loss - Though no one thing is the key to weight loss, it is possible for Chinese medicine to help speed the process of weight loss. You'll still need to exercise and eat right (I know, I know, that's no fun!), but if you keep up the good habits, acupuncture can help you see your hard work sooner!

5.) Anxiety - Chinese medicine can help slow the mind and allow you to be able to relax, feel calmer and more at peace.

4.) Sleep Problems - Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help all kinds of sleep problems. You'll fall asleep easier, you'll stay asleep, and you'll wake feeling rested without any of that foggy feeling or drowsiness often associated with sleep medications.

3.) Headaches - Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help with many different types of headaches. If you suffer from muscle tension headaches, your acupuncturist can get your muscles to relax. If you suffer from hormonal headaches (often associated with a certain time in a woman's menstrual cycle), it's possible to help balance your hormones.

2.) Menstrual Complaints - Some common complaints include: a lack of a period, heavy periods, cramping, PMS, infertility or irregular menstruation. Chinese medicine can help with all of these complaints!

1.) Menopausal Symptoms - Menopausal symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable, but conventional treatments often come with risks (some bigger than others!) Chinese medicine can help your body adjust to this natural change and decrease your symptoms!


So, while acupuncture and herbs are GREAT for pain, remember, Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years as a complete health care system!

Unused phone books!

Okay, so this post is a little off-topic for me. Well, it's not off-topic for ME, it's off-topic for my blog. I am, in fact, a recycling whore, so this is perfect!

I have always been frustrated by the phone books that show up on our front porch which go straight to the recycling bin. With the internet so readily available and SO speedy we weren't using our phone books at all. Because our house is super tiny (660 square feet-tiny), space comes at a premium, so something had to go. We recycled the phone books to make room for a waffle iron.

But we were still receiving those darn phone books. It was so sad for two reasons:
1. Those poor phone books weren't being loved. Can you imagine not even getting unwrapped, let alone having your pages ruffled every once in a while? and
2. Such a waste of time, energy and resources to produce something that would go unloved (see point #1)!

Well, today I found the answer: YellowPagesGoesGreen.org
You give them your information, and they will cancel all "subscriptions" to phone books that would get delivered to your home/office/etc. Yay!

And if that wasn't enough, if you DO use your phone book, they give all kinds of great ideas of things to do with your old phone book once you get your updated set!

Check them out today and stop feeling the guilt every time you see an unused, unloved phone book in your recycling bin!

It's not too late!

Is everyone around you sniffling and sneezing? Has the plague finally gotten to you too? If you're starting to feel like you're catching that cold or flu that's been going around, it's not too late to keep it from wreaking havoc on your immune system!

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs to the rescue!

While the best medicine is prevention, we all succumb to that miserable virus every once in a while. When it does finally catch up to you, consider seeing your acupuncturist! Using acupuncture and Chinese herbs, it's possible to:

* Get rid of the cold all together
* Prevent the cold from getting any worse
* Shorten the duration of your suffering
* Decrease the severity of your symptoms

There are many herbal formulas out there (you'll have to ask your acupuncturist/herbalist which one is right for the type of cold or flu that you have) that work BETTER than over the counter cold medicines. We have all suffered through the "brain fog" that decongestants leave in their wake, and we all deal it because it's worth getting some relief, but herbal formulas clear the pressure (without over-drying!) and leave you thinking more clearly!

So, the next time everyone around you is crumbling, visit your acupuncturist!

Acupuncture can help Peri-Menopausal symptoms

Feeling hot? Considering making your freezer your home? Hot flashes can be one of the most annoying, and most noticeable, symptoms of peri-menopause. Common symptoms of peri-menopause include: forgetfulness, dryness (including not only skin and hair, but the vaginal wall), irregular periods, and of course, hot flashes. 34 Menopausal Symptoms has a great list and description of these and less-common symptoms (or ones that may be more common, but aren't always thought of as being associated with menopause).

Most women in this transitional time in their lives seek some form of relief for their symptoms. And who can blame them? They're losing out on sleep, they're uncomfortable from the symptoms much of the time, and NO ONE is being understanding of this time in their lives! One of the most common, and most controversial treatments has been hormone replacement (HR or HRT). Sure, it's helped a lot of women through the symptoms, but it isn't without risks, and isn't it just slowing the transition?

According to Chinese Medicine, this is a natural, normal and healthy time of change, just like becoming an adult - remember how crazy that change was? The secret to staying symptom-free (or at least symptom-not-so-noticeable) is keeping yourself balanced energetically during this time. Remember, when our energy becomes unbalanced, this is when we start experiencing unhealth and boy do our bodies start complaining!

Using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, it's very possible to ease the symptoms of peri-menopause. This isn't done by adjusting the hormone levels (as is the case with HRT), but by adjusting how your body responds to your changing levels of hormones. By reminding your body that this is normal, and that it's okay to go with the flow, it doesn't panic and create all of the miserable symptoms in an effort to get back to what it once considered "normal."

Because your body is being reminded how to be healthy, not covering up unhealth, there are no side effects and you'll be much more comfortable through this incredible change in your life!

A National Health Care Plan that Includes CAM?

President Barack Obama is proposing a national health care plan that will provide everyone with medical coverage. It has been said that there will be an emphasis on Preventative medicine, since keeping people from getting sick in the first place will help keep overall costs lower. What medicine is better equipped to keep people in balance to prevent illness than Complimentary and Alternative Medicines (CAM)? Prevention is the platform that alternative medicines were built on! If you are a health care practitioner who firmly believes that CAM would be a great component of a national health care plan, please consider signing this petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/ACAMYES/petition.html

What to Expect on Your First Acupuncture Visit

You've never had acupuncture before and, frankly, the needles are a little intimidating. Do they hurt? Is it safe? What does it feel like? Let's answer some of these questions (and more!) so that there is less to fear!

When you first go to an acupuncturist, you'll discuss your health in great depth. Don't be afraid to share symptoms that seem "weird" or "unimportant;" you'd be surprised how often these symptoms fit into the picture just right and will help your acupuncturist get a more complete and accurate diagnosis for you!

After discussing your health, your acupuncturist will check your tongue. Yes, I said TONGUE! Remember, acupuncture existed LONG before modern scientific tests, so ancient acupuncturists had to rely on the body and it's signs to make a diagnosis. Our tongues reflect the state of our bodies. For example, if someone is having sleep troubles, you will often find that the tip of their tongue is bright red. Try using this as a party trick sometime!

Next is reading your pulse. In Chinese medicine, we have 3 different pulses on each wrist where our Qi is represented. Your acupuncturist will check your pulse for general speed (like at your doctor's office), but they will also check it for quality - what it feels like as it travels through the blood vessel.

And finally, your acupuncturist will start inserting needles. Acupuncture needles are single-use only, which means they will only be used on you, then disposed of properly in a sharps container, just like at your doctor's office! Acupuncture needles are super small - they're only about the thickness of a single human hair. They're solid, unlike hypodermic needles used for vaccines, so there's very little pain when the needle is put in (only a mild pinch!). Once the needle is in place, it shouldn't be painful at all! Some people may feel a sense of heaviness or pressure where the needle is - this is the sensation of the Qi! Some people feel the Qi, some people don't, both are perfectly normal responses.

Acupuncture needles are usually left in place between 15-45 minutes depending on your diagnosis. During this time, many people like to meditate, relax or even fall asleep (my personal favorite is the latter!). Whatever you choose to do during this time, the important thing is to physically and mentally relax so that the medicine can do it's work.

After you have rested with your needles in place, your acupuncturist will remove them. Some people may feel a little tired after an acupuncture treatment, some people may feel energized, some people won't feel any changes at all. All of these are normal responses. Talk with your acupuncturist about how quickly they might expect you to start seeing results. Some people see some changes after just one visit, some people may not see results for up to 8 visits. We're all different, and we're all in different stages of health or unhealth.

Congratulations, you've just finished your first acupuncture experience! Welcome to the beginning of your path to health!

Happy Chinese New Year of the Ox!

Welcome to the New Year and new beginnings! We are now in the Chinese zodiac year of the Earth Ox. Here's a prediction for the upcoming year according to the website http://www.astrology.com:

The Ox is the second sign of the Chinese zodiac. Like its predecessor and complement, the Rat, it signifies new beginnings. The main difference is the Ox is associated with building to last and slow but sure action. Even more so than last year we all have to make good choices, as that which is begun now is likely to have long term consequences.

As with last year, this is an Earth year. The difference is this one is yin rather than yang. It is thus likely to be less tumultuous. On a personal level, better results are more likely to be achieved by reacting to circumstances and going with the flow rather than aggressively charging forward and initiating a lot of action.

Unfortunately Earth has a destructive relationship with the Ox's fixed element, Water. In fact this is the fourth in a run of six years governed by an unlucky conflict of elements. This fact should come as no surprise to those who have followed US and world financial markets or the unspeakable horror that has persisted in Iraq.

The combination of Earth and Ox, however, is not at all a negative combination. Its primary characteristic is durability. It suggests an environment dominated by cautious pragmatism rather than quixotic dreaming. Things will get done.

Interestingly this is an equally good time for thinking and all kinds of intellectual endeavors. Planning, scholarship and research, for example, are favorable activities. It is also an auspicious time for the arts; although, under Earth's influence, applied arts such as design and graphics may do best.

Furthermore, they will generally be successful if done in harmony with the spirit of the Earth Ox. This applies both to the type and amount of new projects as well as the approach to accomplishing them. That means focusing on just a few, long term projects. It also suggests proceeding in a cautious yet determined manner. Finally, it counsels avoiding taking unnecessary risks and yielding to the temptation to seek short term gains.

There is likely to be a focus on career and self improvement this year to the detriment of family. People thus need to be attentive and creative so that this area does not suffer. It is, however, a relatively good time to begin a new romance. Those in a relationship may want to consider raising it to the next level, to include marriage.

Since this is an Earth year, those people born in a Metal year will generally fare better than others of their animal sign, while those born in a Water one are likely to do worse than those born in Wood, Fire, and Earth years.

The year 2009 will be a period of lasting accomplishments. This is true for individuals, societies and the human race in general. There may be times when motivation appears to be lacking. In fact the big challenge everyone faces is to generate the enthusiasm and desire to act. Those individuals and organizations that do will create enduring benefits for themselves and the world.

I wish everyone the best in this New Year!