It's supposed to be Time that heals, but I think to be more precise, it's sleep that heals - good deep uninterrupted refreshing sleep.
When an animal is wounded, its first reaction is to sleep. I had a dog get into a fight once, and it slept off the injuries for a whole week, barely getting up to eat.
Sleep is incredibly healing for everything: I find that if I worked out and am sore, I feel so much better if I can get really langorous deep sleep. If I feel like a cold is coming on, a really good night's sleep seems to help push it off before it takes ahold of me. When I graduated from acupuncture school I took several months of sleeping in and taking naps to recover.
And this year I took the summer to recover from the loss of both my parents in one year. I slept in whenever I could, I slept as long as I wanted on my days off, I took extra naps wherever I could fit them in. And it has paid off. I felt a shift in my energy just last week where I didn't feel as tired, felt more relaxed all around, and felt ready to take on new things again.
It strikes me that modern society does not value sleep enough. We seem to be quick to seek signs of depression and quicker to banish them - what if being tired is simply part of a recovery process? Sleep is the one activity that we cannot skip, yet can skimp ourselves out of and still survive. However, getting "beauty rest" yields such a quality of life, I think it may even be more important than diet and exercise!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Investing Energy
When we spend a lot of money, most of us tell ourselves we have to go make more, and save more. On the other hand, when we spend a lot of energy, most of us go to a doctor and tell them to fix it, we "shouldn't have to live like this!" That's where the problem lies: Energy is a resource in our lives, not that different than money. We can spend it, save it, and replenish it from the outside world. And like money, if we spend it all, it's gone.
Energy is spent by physical activity, by having strong emotions, and by thinking a lot. Exercising is exhausting to the body, and a balance needs to be struck between investing energy in your health versus the wear and tear that accumulates. Strong emotions, such as anger or grief, when allowed to fester, eat away at resources without bearing any fruit. But worse than all is worry and overthinking. Not only is worry a fruitless endeavor, once you start, it is hard to talk yourself out of worrying. Anything can become an object of worry, and rationally so.
Spending money can be addictive, and so can spending energy. Many people over-exercise and justify it as being good for their health. Many people over-indulge in their emotions and feel justified in them. And many people overthink and worry, and indeed there are many things to worry about in this modern world we have created.
Overspending energy results in exhaustion and stress, which can manifest in myriad ways: depression/anxiety, fatigue, digestive disorders, menstrual disorders, tension and aches throughout the body or in one particular joint, greater allergic sensitivity, decreased immune system, insomnia, poor appetite, irritability, exacerbation of existing conditions... just to name a few.
Amazingly, a lot of symptoms simply stop or lessen just by lessening the energy expense. Learning to let go of the obsessiveness of exercise, emotion, or worry - learning to relax!
Sometimes acupuncture can seem so miraculous because one of its effects is to break the cycle of energy expense, simply allowing the body to shutdown completely for the time you are here. After a session, most report feeling relaxed in a way that they haven't felt in ages - not sleepy, just really relaxed. Once acupuncture has taken you to this level of minimal energy expense, you will be more aware of the ways you spend energy as you go back into your life. I recommend a maintenance regimen of acupuncture as part of every wellness plan!
Energy is spent by physical activity, by having strong emotions, and by thinking a lot. Exercising is exhausting to the body, and a balance needs to be struck between investing energy in your health versus the wear and tear that accumulates. Strong emotions, such as anger or grief, when allowed to fester, eat away at resources without bearing any fruit. But worse than all is worry and overthinking. Not only is worry a fruitless endeavor, once you start, it is hard to talk yourself out of worrying. Anything can become an object of worry, and rationally so.
Spending money can be addictive, and so can spending energy. Many people over-exercise and justify it as being good for their health. Many people over-indulge in their emotions and feel justified in them. And many people overthink and worry, and indeed there are many things to worry about in this modern world we have created.
Overspending energy results in exhaustion and stress, which can manifest in myriad ways: depression/anxiety, fatigue, digestive disorders, menstrual disorders, tension and aches throughout the body or in one particular joint, greater allergic sensitivity, decreased immune system, insomnia, poor appetite, irritability, exacerbation of existing conditions... just to name a few.
Amazingly, a lot of symptoms simply stop or lessen just by lessening the energy expense. Learning to let go of the obsessiveness of exercise, emotion, or worry - learning to relax!
Sometimes acupuncture can seem so miraculous because one of its effects is to break the cycle of energy expense, simply allowing the body to shutdown completely for the time you are here. After a session, most report feeling relaxed in a way that they haven't felt in ages - not sleepy, just really relaxed. Once acupuncture has taken you to this level of minimal energy expense, you will be more aware of the ways you spend energy as you go back into your life. I recommend a maintenance regimen of acupuncture as part of every wellness plan!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Post Gallbladder Surgery
An interesting day today...
A woman I have seen in the past for back pain called me yesterday for an appointment today: she is in so much pain after GB surgery she can hardly sit, stand or walk! Apparently her pancreas was also blocked, and a stent put in for that too!
It's mostly gas pain that starts in the area of the GB and works it's way around the abdomen to the back. I worked on her abdomen, and after a couple minutes she had to sit up from the pain in the back. I had her sit up, put in a couple needles in her back. After about 10 minutes I checked on her and she was feeling a lot better; the needles helped her to relax.
After I took all the needles out, I gave her a good rub along her back, and then gently rubbed out her abdomen. Gas pains were cramping up the digestive tract, but things were moving. I showed her a gentle belly rub to do on herself.
After she was up and dressed, she commented, "If I could drive myself, I would be here every day!" Apparently the treatment was helpful! Another good day... I do love to help people!
A woman I have seen in the past for back pain called me yesterday for an appointment today: she is in so much pain after GB surgery she can hardly sit, stand or walk! Apparently her pancreas was also blocked, and a stent put in for that too!
It's mostly gas pain that starts in the area of the GB and works it's way around the abdomen to the back. I worked on her abdomen, and after a couple minutes she had to sit up from the pain in the back. I had her sit up, put in a couple needles in her back. After about 10 minutes I checked on her and she was feeling a lot better; the needles helped her to relax.
After I took all the needles out, I gave her a good rub along her back, and then gently rubbed out her abdomen. Gas pains were cramping up the digestive tract, but things were moving. I showed her a gentle belly rub to do on herself.
After she was up and dressed, she commented, "If I could drive myself, I would be here every day!" Apparently the treatment was helpful! Another good day... I do love to help people!
Nodules in the Vocal Chords
An unusual case walked in today. She was with her sister, who has had acupuncture in the past... and who seems very educated about alternative medicine and holistic health.
We shall see how this goes, but a very interesting case. Only 25, she already has had so many health issues. Her doctors believe she strained her voice by teaching, coaching, singing and acting... Certainly possible to strain the voice, but to just keep going through the pain, to the point of nodules... that is quite a strong will she possesses!
In addition, acid reflux has damaged her throat. And she has been diagnosed since the age of 18 with osteopenia... quite young to experience this! And a thyroid disorder to boot!
As far as the voice goes, often issues of the voice and throat have to do with the 5th Chakra. Officially Chinese medicine doesn't talk about the chakras, so I am no expert. So treatment with acupuncture has to do with opening the meridians, loosening all the tension around the neck, shoulders, and jaw/tongue. And boy was she tense! Tears flowed as she released tension, which often happens when an area is especially stagnant: emotions are trapped in the tension as much as physical trauma is.
5th Chakra has to do with self-expression. For someone to strive so hard to express says to me that either they feel they have to try harder than everyone else, or that they have to over-achieve for some reason. A balanced and happy 5th Chakra doesn't need to strive so hard. If anything, that person can speak softly and exert influence - the quality and depth of presence is powerful enough.
In this case acupuncture alone is not going to solve the problem, she will have to supplement with introspection and meditation. I advised her to write as a meditation (not just creatively). I also recommended The Artist's Way, a great book by Julia Cameron. Not everyone thinks it is a great book, but the greatness of the book is its simplicity. There are plenty of other ways to deeply inquire within about issues of self-expression, but I found this book very accessible. I have had some major breakthroughs of my own, sometimes with the simplest of questions from this book - it's as much about the context that she lays out as it is about the techniques.
Well, she left much lighter in her step, with a smile and a sense of direction. I believe this will turn out great - a turning point in her life. I'll keep you posted about the case!
We shall see how this goes, but a very interesting case. Only 25, she already has had so many health issues. Her doctors believe she strained her voice by teaching, coaching, singing and acting... Certainly possible to strain the voice, but to just keep going through the pain, to the point of nodules... that is quite a strong will she possesses!
In addition, acid reflux has damaged her throat. And she has been diagnosed since the age of 18 with osteopenia... quite young to experience this! And a thyroid disorder to boot!
As far as the voice goes, often issues of the voice and throat have to do with the 5th Chakra. Officially Chinese medicine doesn't talk about the chakras, so I am no expert. So treatment with acupuncture has to do with opening the meridians, loosening all the tension around the neck, shoulders, and jaw/tongue. And boy was she tense! Tears flowed as she released tension, which often happens when an area is especially stagnant: emotions are trapped in the tension as much as physical trauma is.
5th Chakra has to do with self-expression. For someone to strive so hard to express says to me that either they feel they have to try harder than everyone else, or that they have to over-achieve for some reason. A balanced and happy 5th Chakra doesn't need to strive so hard. If anything, that person can speak softly and exert influence - the quality and depth of presence is powerful enough.
In this case acupuncture alone is not going to solve the problem, she will have to supplement with introspection and meditation. I advised her to write as a meditation (not just creatively). I also recommended The Artist's Way, a great book by Julia Cameron. Not everyone thinks it is a great book, but the greatness of the book is its simplicity. There are plenty of other ways to deeply inquire within about issues of self-expression, but I found this book very accessible. I have had some major breakthroughs of my own, sometimes with the simplest of questions from this book - it's as much about the context that she lays out as it is about the techniques.
Well, she left much lighter in her step, with a smile and a sense of direction. I believe this will turn out great - a turning point in her life. I'll keep you posted about the case!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Diabetes
Last night a friend asked me if I treat diabetes. It's not the first time I've gotten the question, and I've always answered cautiously. Chinese medicine is about setting the body back to where it wants to be - it isn't about manipulating switches to make it where we think it ought to be. I don't treat insulin dependency, I treat the digestive system for the imbalanced way it handles sugar.
Sounds simplistic when people are so educated about the chemistry of diabetes. But this morning, a patient says to me, "Have you been treating my diabetes?" I say I was addressing it through the digestive system. She says, "Well, I think I feel better!" I have been treating her for sciatic pain down her hip and leg, and while she was here I was also addressing Spleen deficiency and dampness: in other words, rebalancing her digestive system... and she can tell the difference!
If you have diabetes, give acupuncture a try. It won't be instant results, but it is worth seeing what can be done without drugs and with a good diet.
Sounds simplistic when people are so educated about the chemistry of diabetes. But this morning, a patient says to me, "Have you been treating my diabetes?" I say I was addressing it through the digestive system. She says, "Well, I think I feel better!" I have been treating her for sciatic pain down her hip and leg, and while she was here I was also addressing Spleen deficiency and dampness: in other words, rebalancing her digestive system... and she can tell the difference!
If you have diabetes, give acupuncture a try. It won't be instant results, but it is worth seeing what can be done without drugs and with a good diet.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sitting Affects Health!?!
To most of us it would appear that sitting in a chair is the most comfortable posture to be in while awake: it's restful, relaxing and easy. However, for hours at a time on a daily or almost daily basis, sitting a lot will lead to several problems over time.
Here is a picture of a normal spine, standing.
Sitting in a chair changes the normal standing posture by first causing the low back to arch back instead of the normal forward. Secondly, it puts pressure on the spine from below: when standing there is no pressure directly on the base of the spine due to the way the hips support from the sides. In addition to spinal changes, sitting on chairs cuts off blood supply and presses on nerves running through the backs of our legs.
After many hours of this kind of stress, several things can happen. Circulation can be reduced to legs and feet. Nerves can get pinched, causing sciatic pains in the hips and legs. Low back pain can result from this posture. Disks in the back, designed to fit into the normal curvature of the back, are squeezed on the anterior sides by the seated posture and subjected to extra pressure from below. This can lead to disk degeneration, bulges, or herniations over time.
It is recommended that we get up to stretch at least once an hour. When seated at a computer, try not to crane into the screen - draw the chin inwards slightly and keep the back of the head upright in order to stretch the cervical spine upright. The taichi image is that the head is suspended at the very crown by a thread from above, and the rest of the body hangs from this point, giving a sense of traction.
Whenever possible, try using different sitting angles - kneeling chairs, balls, and squatting without any support. Changing up the pressure keeps it from building up in one place. And relax! It's amazing how much tension we carry just sitting - especially if we are concentrating on something stressful. Breath, relax, smile. Things always turn out better that way!
Here is a picture of a normal spine, standing.
After many hours of this kind of stress, several things can happen. Circulation can be reduced to legs and feet. Nerves can get pinched, causing sciatic pains in the hips and legs. Low back pain can result from this posture. Disks in the back, designed to fit into the normal curvature of the back, are squeezed on the anterior sides by the seated posture and subjected to extra pressure from below. This can lead to disk degeneration, bulges, or herniations over time.
It is recommended that we get up to stretch at least once an hour. When seated at a computer, try not to crane into the screen - draw the chin inwards slightly and keep the back of the head upright in order to stretch the cervical spine upright. The taichi image is that the head is suspended at the very crown by a thread from above, and the rest of the body hangs from this point, giving a sense of traction.
Whenever possible, try using different sitting angles - kneeling chairs, balls, and squatting without any support. Changing up the pressure keeps it from building up in one place. And relax! It's amazing how much tension we carry just sitting - especially if we are concentrating on something stressful. Breath, relax, smile. Things always turn out better that way!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Sprained Ankle/Foot
It's common knowledge that sprained ankles take a while to heal, and that they are very vulnerable to re-spraining after the initial injury. Sometime this is called a weak ankle.
What most don't know, even most professionals (even doctors), is that the bones of the ankle can actually be knocked out of alignment by the forces acting on it during the injury. The natural arches of the foot are formed by the 7 bones of the ankle and the metatarsals of the foot. The arches formed are similar to classic stone arches - each piece of the top of the arch fitting against each other in wedge shapes. When disturbed out of their normal alignment, one or more of these bones can then stick out and not be able to fall back in due to the nature of the other bones wedging it out. This is like a stone arch with one of it's pieces sticking out too high: the integrity and strength of the structure is phenomenal when all are in line, but very vulnerable when out of line.
This is why a sprain can re-occur over and over again. The tendons and ligaments were stretched in the first injury, the bones were quite possibly out of line, and then the same movement happens and the bones cannot support the healing soft tissue. The re-injury isn't always a new sprain, usually it's the old one not fixed.
The bones sometimes work themselves back into alignment again on their own, but that's not always the case. I have worked on many ankles that chronically hold some misalignment. When asked, the patient reports a "weak ankle," an ankle that is prone to re-injury. Which of course is no suprise.
I have received continuing education in Chinese medical massage, Tuina. Tuina includes techniques for bone alignment. Not all acupuncturists are trained in these more advanced massage/manipulation techniques, even if they studied Tuina in school.
Tuina training combined with acupuncture is the best remedy for sprains. The basic method is to first soften all the tension in the tendons and ligaments. This is done with soothing massage and acupuncture. After the initial warming up of at least 25-35 minutes (including time with needles), the ankle can be moved through normal range of motion, and stretched to make space in the tightly wedged bones. When the arch of the bones is opened, the bone(s) that we squeezed out can slip back into place. The difference can be seen and felt immediately, and the pain much improved right away.
Most sprains occur on the outer side of the ankle or foot. The most interesting sprained ankle I have run across was across the inner aspect of the foot. The patient had sprained it 7 weeks ago, and she observed "swelling" of the inner foot. Besides it being rare to sprain the inner main arch, when I saw the foot, it was not swelling at all. The bones were so out of line over the top of the foot that they had crushed inward, raising the top of the foot. Amazing to see, and yet my training covered this contingency.
I got to work, and after each session I could see that the raised parts of the foot were indeed flattening immediately. It was not an overnight cure, but it is a real treatment. Not just pain medication, and not just exercises to get the foot "stronger" - this was actually treating the source of the problem so that the foot can be as good as new, not just functional.
The patient had to go out of town after 2 sessions. While she was gone, she went to a doctor. The only thing the doctor could say was that it was unusual! This is true, it was unusual. He immediately was jumping to arthritis or bone spur. This is completely incorrect! The doctor wanted to do a CT scan, then MRI. What is a machine taking a picture going to show that I can't see with my own eyes, feel with my own hands, and treat right in my own clinic? And what is a doctor going to do to align the bones? They don't have it in their vocabulary. For doctors, bones don't move. How shortsighted and mistaken that point of view is!
Even the typical chiropractor, who works with bone alignment, seems to have a limited view. Somehow, they believe that the problem is about getting the bones in the right place and the rest will follow. Well, just forcing the bones back into alignment does not address what caused the bones to be out of alignment in the first place, and what will most likely cause it to go back out of alignment.
Chinese medicine states to obvious: bones are moved by muscles, attached to each other by tendons. Bones are hinged together by ligaments. If bones are out of place, it is because the muscles/tendons/ligaments are either pulling on them too hard (too tight) or failing to properly support them (too loose). But the problem is in the soft tissue. Once the soft tissue is addressed, the bones can be moved through normal range of motion, and they will simply fall back into their normal place. No cranking necessary. And the results are lasting because the solution addresses the real problem, not just a secondary manifestation. Treat the root, not the branch!
What most don't know, even most professionals (even doctors), is that the bones of the ankle can actually be knocked out of alignment by the forces acting on it during the injury. The natural arches of the foot are formed by the 7 bones of the ankle and the metatarsals of the foot. The arches formed are similar to classic stone arches - each piece of the top of the arch fitting against each other in wedge shapes. When disturbed out of their normal alignment, one or more of these bones can then stick out and not be able to fall back in due to the nature of the other bones wedging it out. This is like a stone arch with one of it's pieces sticking out too high: the integrity and strength of the structure is phenomenal when all are in line, but very vulnerable when out of line.
This is why a sprain can re-occur over and over again. The tendons and ligaments were stretched in the first injury, the bones were quite possibly out of line, and then the same movement happens and the bones cannot support the healing soft tissue. The re-injury isn't always a new sprain, usually it's the old one not fixed.
The bones sometimes work themselves back into alignment again on their own, but that's not always the case. I have worked on many ankles that chronically hold some misalignment. When asked, the patient reports a "weak ankle," an ankle that is prone to re-injury. Which of course is no suprise.
I have received continuing education in Chinese medical massage, Tuina. Tuina includes techniques for bone alignment. Not all acupuncturists are trained in these more advanced massage/manipulation techniques, even if they studied Tuina in school.
Tuina training combined with acupuncture is the best remedy for sprains. The basic method is to first soften all the tension in the tendons and ligaments. This is done with soothing massage and acupuncture. After the initial warming up of at least 25-35 minutes (including time with needles), the ankle can be moved through normal range of motion, and stretched to make space in the tightly wedged bones. When the arch of the bones is opened, the bone(s) that we squeezed out can slip back into place. The difference can be seen and felt immediately, and the pain much improved right away.
Most sprains occur on the outer side of the ankle or foot. The most interesting sprained ankle I have run across was across the inner aspect of the foot. The patient had sprained it 7 weeks ago, and she observed "swelling" of the inner foot. Besides it being rare to sprain the inner main arch, when I saw the foot, it was not swelling at all. The bones were so out of line over the top of the foot that they had crushed inward, raising the top of the foot. Amazing to see, and yet my training covered this contingency.
I got to work, and after each session I could see that the raised parts of the foot were indeed flattening immediately. It was not an overnight cure, but it is a real treatment. Not just pain medication, and not just exercises to get the foot "stronger" - this was actually treating the source of the problem so that the foot can be as good as new, not just functional.
The patient had to go out of town after 2 sessions. While she was gone, she went to a doctor. The only thing the doctor could say was that it was unusual! This is true, it was unusual. He immediately was jumping to arthritis or bone spur. This is completely incorrect! The doctor wanted to do a CT scan, then MRI. What is a machine taking a picture going to show that I can't see with my own eyes, feel with my own hands, and treat right in my own clinic? And what is a doctor going to do to align the bones? They don't have it in their vocabulary. For doctors, bones don't move. How shortsighted and mistaken that point of view is!
Even the typical chiropractor, who works with bone alignment, seems to have a limited view. Somehow, they believe that the problem is about getting the bones in the right place and the rest will follow. Well, just forcing the bones back into alignment does not address what caused the bones to be out of alignment in the first place, and what will most likely cause it to go back out of alignment.
Chinese medicine states to obvious: bones are moved by muscles, attached to each other by tendons. Bones are hinged together by ligaments. If bones are out of place, it is because the muscles/tendons/ligaments are either pulling on them too hard (too tight) or failing to properly support them (too loose). But the problem is in the soft tissue. Once the soft tissue is addressed, the bones can be moved through normal range of motion, and they will simply fall back into their normal place. No cranking necessary. And the results are lasting because the solution addresses the real problem, not just a secondary manifestation. Treat the root, not the branch!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Treating Colds and Flu with Acupuncture
With all the media coverage the swine flu has been getting, and all the recommendations out there to get flu vaccination, I am still not convinced that flu shots are the best way not to get sick this fall. Chinese medicine proposes that the best defense is strengthening your own immune system.
Flu shots do not strengthen the immunity, they expose you to the pathogen. This means that your immune system is challenged by a dose of flu virus, not through normal channels but directly into the blood stream! A strong immune system can fight off this virus and develop immunity... however a strong immune system would have fought off a flu caught the normal way also.
There are many ways to strengthen the immune system that may seem rather obvious: eat well, sleep deeply for enough hours every day, keep warm, exercise and learn to let go of tension. It may seem surprising to some, but acupuncture is also very helpful, both to support your own immune system and to actually treat colds and flu.
If you get acupuncture as soon as you feel symptoms setting in, the needles have been known to kick out the cold/flu entirely right then and there. However, most people wait or can't get in right away, and then the acupuncture won't be as quick, but will definitely immediately alleviate the symptoms, improve the tiredness, and shorten the recovery time.
Why wait? Get your cold or flu treated right away and save yourself most of the misery of going through it!
An interesting link from Dr Mercola:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/21/Special-Swine-Flu-Update.aspx
Flu shots do not strengthen the immunity, they expose you to the pathogen. This means that your immune system is challenged by a dose of flu virus, not through normal channels but directly into the blood stream! A strong immune system can fight off this virus and develop immunity... however a strong immune system would have fought off a flu caught the normal way also.
There are many ways to strengthen the immune system that may seem rather obvious: eat well, sleep deeply for enough hours every day, keep warm, exercise and learn to let go of tension. It may seem surprising to some, but acupuncture is also very helpful, both to support your own immune system and to actually treat colds and flu.
If you get acupuncture as soon as you feel symptoms setting in, the needles have been known to kick out the cold/flu entirely right then and there. However, most people wait or can't get in right away, and then the acupuncture won't be as quick, but will definitely immediately alleviate the symptoms, improve the tiredness, and shorten the recovery time.
Why wait? Get your cold or flu treated right away and save yourself most of the misery of going through it!
An interesting link from Dr Mercola:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/21/Special-Swine-Flu-Update.aspx
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Low Back Pain
CR called me yesterday for a last minute appointment. He's been suffering from pain in the hips and low back for over a year... I looked up his chart and he hadn't been in to see me for 8 months! Well, he said in the meantime, he'd tried another acupuncturist closer to his home, who he felt knew nothing about musculoskeletal injuries. He had also seen other doctors, all of whom offered no substantial help. And he went to his father's therapist, who helped his father, but who couldn't offer much to relieve CR's pain.
So, despite the fact that I am far away from his house, and that he would have to miss putting his daughter to bed, he was back to see me. And it's a good thing he did. I could see that there was a lot of tension in his lower back, pulling on his SI joint (sacro-iliac), giving him the hip pain. It was also clear that the tension had not caused any misalignment of the bone structure at this point, which makes treatment much quicker.
Acupuncture can actually help with aligning bones. It seems to be a strange product of the modern way of thinking that bones can just subluxate, or that discs of the back just decide to herniate, or joints just decide to inflame. Actually, it is the muscles that pull on the bones that squeeze bones together. The more constant the tension in the soft tissue, the more damage can be done. Vertebrae can misalign, discs can bulge or herniate, joints can be painful (arthritis). Treatment with acupuncture followed up with Tuina (Chinese medical massage) softens the tight muscle, making room for the bones to fall back into place. A skilled practitioner will be able to encourage the re-alignment, speeding recovery.
CR rose from the treatment table essentially out of pain, just after the one session last night. Because the pain has gone on for so long, it is very likely that it will creep back again: one treatment is usually not enough to alleviate a whole year's worth of body-habit. However, with each session, he will feel better for longer. If he can continue to come regularly, a few treatments should do the trick.
And then he just has to maintain a certain level of relaxation in the muscles of the low back. Maintenance includes proper relaxed but upright posture when standing and sitting, lifting his daughter and any other lifting with his knees and not the back, sleeping in a way that doesn't twist the spine or the hips, and generally keeping tension from building up. I recommend occasional maintenance acupuncture, and the practice of taichi. It takes work to keep the body running smoothly, but it is work that has the benefit of producing a sense of wellness, not just in the body, but the mind and soul too!
So, despite the fact that I am far away from his house, and that he would have to miss putting his daughter to bed, he was back to see me. And it's a good thing he did. I could see that there was a lot of tension in his lower back, pulling on his SI joint (sacro-iliac), giving him the hip pain. It was also clear that the tension had not caused any misalignment of the bone structure at this point, which makes treatment much quicker.
Acupuncture can actually help with aligning bones. It seems to be a strange product of the modern way of thinking that bones can just subluxate, or that discs of the back just decide to herniate, or joints just decide to inflame. Actually, it is the muscles that pull on the bones that squeeze bones together. The more constant the tension in the soft tissue, the more damage can be done. Vertebrae can misalign, discs can bulge or herniate, joints can be painful (arthritis). Treatment with acupuncture followed up with Tuina (Chinese medical massage) softens the tight muscle, making room for the bones to fall back into place. A skilled practitioner will be able to encourage the re-alignment, speeding recovery.
CR rose from the treatment table essentially out of pain, just after the one session last night. Because the pain has gone on for so long, it is very likely that it will creep back again: one treatment is usually not enough to alleviate a whole year's worth of body-habit. However, with each session, he will feel better for longer. If he can continue to come regularly, a few treatments should do the trick.
And then he just has to maintain a certain level of relaxation in the muscles of the low back. Maintenance includes proper relaxed but upright posture when standing and sitting, lifting his daughter and any other lifting with his knees and not the back, sleeping in a way that doesn't twist the spine or the hips, and generally keeping tension from building up. I recommend occasional maintenance acupuncture, and the practice of taichi. It takes work to keep the body running smoothly, but it is work that has the benefit of producing a sense of wellness, not just in the body, but the mind and soul too!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Acupuncture During Pregnancy
There is a lot to fear during pregnancy, for the sake of the unborn. We are much more informed about what to avoid, and we are warned to be careful with drugs of all kinds. Consequently, it isn't a surprise that most mothers-to-be tolerate the symptoms of pregnancy without thinking of acupuncture...
In fact, acupuncture from a well-trained practitioner is super safe during pregnancy - to the point where it can help to prevent miscarriage! Acupuncture can also be used to help with tiredness, morning sickness, swelling and aches. I have had more than one patient come in nauseous and ill, and they leave feeling much more calm and centered. Acupuncture may not stop the symptoms, since these are a body reaction to having a baby growing inside, but it can definitely take the edge off.
I have treated the sciatica that can happen when the baby gets bigger and heavier, and starts weighing on the back. I have even treated mothers who were past their due date and needed to get things going or be subjected to inducing... In two cases of "overdue" pregnancies this past month, both mothers gave birth within a week of treatment, in time to avoid Pitocin.
I have even treated breach presentation. In one case, the breach baby turned immediately after the mother left my office! It was a strange feeling, the mother reported, a really big swish.
I have used acupuncture extensively to support pregnancy and take the edge off of symptoms. It is very safe and effective, and has been used for hundreds of thousands of pregnant women over the millenia!
In fact, acupuncture from a well-trained practitioner is super safe during pregnancy - to the point where it can help to prevent miscarriage! Acupuncture can also be used to help with tiredness, morning sickness, swelling and aches. I have had more than one patient come in nauseous and ill, and they leave feeling much more calm and centered. Acupuncture may not stop the symptoms, since these are a body reaction to having a baby growing inside, but it can definitely take the edge off.
I have treated the sciatica that can happen when the baby gets bigger and heavier, and starts weighing on the back. I have even treated mothers who were past their due date and needed to get things going or be subjected to inducing... In two cases of "overdue" pregnancies this past month, both mothers gave birth within a week of treatment, in time to avoid Pitocin.
I have even treated breach presentation. In one case, the breach baby turned immediately after the mother left my office! It was a strange feeling, the mother reported, a really big swish.
I have used acupuncture extensively to support pregnancy and take the edge off of symptoms. It is very safe and effective, and has been used for hundreds of thousands of pregnant women over the millenia!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Mommy Time
Time and again I have gotten the call - "Help! Low back pain/ Elbow pain/ Hip pain!" These sorts of pains are easy for acupuncture to treat, and very effectively at that.
Usually I try to ascertain what caused it. Was it a fluke, and one-time event, an accident? Or was it something more long-term, like posture, working at a computer, sleep habits?
But if the patient is a mother, why that's reason enough right there. Moms of infants are still recovering from pregnancy, and still nursing and carrying the baby. That is reason enough for aches and pains. Moms of young kids are constantly bending over to pick things up, cleaning and washing laundry, bending over to reach the kid's height. Moms of older kids are constantly in and out of car and the ever-unwieldy car seat, taking little ones to their lessons and sports events... and moms of teenagers are forever worrying about what their kids are getting into next.
In short, being a mother in this day and age is stressful, busy, and more than a full-time job. With little support from family and society, the modern mother has to be superhuman in fulfilling all her kids' needs: and if she works too, then there's only more pressure at home!
No wonder they can use a little mommy time. I love to treat moms... they appreciate the smallest of kindnesses! Just being left alone for the time the needles are in, that in itself is a kind of paradise, so they tell me. And the acupuncture works wonders to relax and restore. Moms can profoundly sink into a state of stillness, and within a half hour be out the door again, refreshed, renewed and ready to be superhuman again!
Usually I try to ascertain what caused it. Was it a fluke, and one-time event, an accident? Or was it something more long-term, like posture, working at a computer, sleep habits?
But if the patient is a mother, why that's reason enough right there. Moms of infants are still recovering from pregnancy, and still nursing and carrying the baby. That is reason enough for aches and pains. Moms of young kids are constantly bending over to pick things up, cleaning and washing laundry, bending over to reach the kid's height. Moms of older kids are constantly in and out of car and the ever-unwieldy car seat, taking little ones to their lessons and sports events... and moms of teenagers are forever worrying about what their kids are getting into next.
In short, being a mother in this day and age is stressful, busy, and more than a full-time job. With little support from family and society, the modern mother has to be superhuman in fulfilling all her kids' needs: and if she works too, then there's only more pressure at home!
No wonder they can use a little mommy time. I love to treat moms... they appreciate the smallest of kindnesses! Just being left alone for the time the needles are in, that in itself is a kind of paradise, so they tell me. And the acupuncture works wonders to relax and restore. Moms can profoundly sink into a state of stillness, and within a half hour be out the door again, refreshed, renewed and ready to be superhuman again!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Her Nose Knows!
Florence's story... back from 2005 also!
Two months ago, as I felt myself sliding into yet another upper respiratory infection, I made an appointment with Angela Chen, who at that time was treating my husband for neuromuscular pain. My sinus infections had been recurrent for over forty years. All kinds of treatment, from massage to sinus surgery, had had minimal effect. I had been on prescription decongestants for over eleven years continuously when I brought my sinuses to Angela for acupuncture.
I continued with the acupuncture treatments weekly – and discovered I could stop taking decongestants! At first, I would stop for a day. Then I realized I could stop for a week. It has now been seven weeks since I last took a pill. I can breath clearly through my nose – it almost feels like it is for the first time in my life. My nose knows acupuncture has been a healing path!
Pain-free and Amazed!
A sweetheart, Ellen Johnson is someone I loved to catch up with every week when she was coming regularly! Here's an article she wrote for me back in 2004... Time flies!
By Ellen Johnson
“I have good news, and I have bad news,” said the specialist with a smile. The exam had been painful, and he was ready with results.
After six months of searing pain that began at the base of my neck and coursed through each joint ending with my toes, I was in no mood for levity. It felt like broken glass and made me feel as if I’d aged thirty years in a nanosecond. At the top of my “to do” list was not driving my car off a bridge in total despair, followed closely by keeping myself from bursting into tears while at home, work or school. Humor was pretty low on that list.
The doctor had come so highly recommended by other well-known physicians, I decided to just go with his mood. I asked for the good news first. He told me that I had at least three quarters of the dozen or so symptoms for fibromyalgia. If it had a name, I could see how that could be construed as good news. OK so far. The bad news, as anyone with fibromyalgia will confirm, is that there really is no effective conventional treatment for the chronic, debilitating pain and the infinite cycle of insomnia and exhaustion.
Together with my internist, we experimented with arthritis medications, tiny doses of valium to relax my muscles, and prescription sleep aids. Nothing worked. In fact, each thing we tried seemed to generate another layer of complications. I took up yoga, which hurt more than I care to remember, and learned a few simple meditation techniques from a pain management clinic at a local hospital, all the while trying to maintain some semblance of a life. I was in pain virtually round the clock.
On one of my many return visits, the rheumatologist, a man with 35 years of traditional medical experience and who was truly sad that I’d shown no progress said: “You know what I’d do? I’d have a glass of sherry every night before bed and try acupuncture for the pain.” Part of me wondered why he waited so long to suggest that but I immediately set out to find an acupuncturist. I did some research and narrowed the candidates down to two. As soon as I spoke with Angela, I knew instinctively she was the right one.
On my first visit I almost literally crawled up to her office from my car. The pain was exacerbated by every move I made. Angela asked a lot of questions, listened attentively, asked a few more questions, processed the information quickly and then said, “ I can help.”
Although she was a stranger, Angela’s combination of gentleness and confidence made me feel completely safe and relaxed as she began to insert the needles. She explained what she was doing as she went along. Once they were all placed, she left me in a state of complete comfort and calm, for 20 minutes. When she returned, she removed the needles and started to massage me. I could feel an enormously strong and soothing flow of energy through her skilled hands. We talked while she worked, then when she was done she quietly told me to take my time getting dressed and that she’d meet me in her office. It wasn’t until I was headed out of the room that I realized that I had practically jumped off the table with no discomfort at all. Just moments before, preparing for treatment had been quite a feat for me! Honestly, I had resigned myself to a life of pain and limitations. This was an event of inexpressible enormity.
Of course, the pain did not disappear completely overnight, but I knew that I had finally turned a corner and that I wasn’t going back again. Once the joint pain came under control we started to treat my migraines, too. Now, for the first time in over 11 years, I am almost migraine-free. My experience with acupuncture and herbs has been life-changing in ways that I cannot express.
I have my body and my life back again. Trust me, that’s no small thing. I work, go to school, take care of myself and my family, exercise, have fun. You name it and I can do it! I love to cook, and for my son’s 21 st birthday party, I cut by hand enough coleslaw and salad to feed 60 people. It was only after everything was done that I realized how easily all my joints moved, without the spasms of pain I had suffered so chronically – something I would never have dreamed of a year ago!
Now she greets me with a cheery “What news?!” Happily, I can respond as my children would: “It ALL good!” I have even sent family and friends for treatment and they have all had such positive experiences with Angela that they too would sing her praises without hesitation.
Tai Chi Quickens Recovery From Surgery
This is another story, written by a taichi student, back in 2004!
by Harry Odobasic, Third-Year Tai Chi Student
In tai chi, at first you don’t see physical, measurable progress. It’s intangible. You might not realize it until it comes to the fore by surprise. That’s what happened to me recently as I was recovering in the hospital from an operation.
In 2002 I was diagnosed with atypical trigeminal neuralgia (TN), a condition caused by the deterioration of the myelin sheath around the trigeminal nerve, which is then pressured by a nearby vein, artery or, as in my case, both. The trigeminal nerve has three branches which carry sensation from the jaws, face and eyes to the brain. My affliction was with the branch located in the jaw. Some doctors say that this is the most painful condition known to science. In my case, there were times when the pain was so intense that I lost my sight and control of my muscles. The attacks were spontaneous—they would start and stop suddenly, with no apparent connection to anything I was doing. I was placed on epileptic medication to control the pain, and as the attacks came more and more frequently, the dosages were increased.
In May, 2002, I had microvascular decompression surgery, which consisted of placing Teflon pads around those parts of the trigeminal nerve that were determined to be the cause of the problem. For the next two months, I was totally pain-free. But then the attacks returned, at first sporadically and then with greater frequency and intensity.
I had spent many years in the Army, and had been a runner for most of my adult life. Now, with the dangers that a sudden attack might pose on the road, I had to give that up. My wife, Sue, had been studying tai chi with George for two years, and encouraged me to join her. She was sure that the stress of my lifestyle was making my condition worse. Tai chi’s beneficial effects on stress are well known and documented. So, in the fall of 2002, I enrolled in George’s tai chi beginners class.
At first, I went to tai chi because I wanted to do some form of exercise that wouldn’t aggravate my condition. Then it grew on me, and I started to get serious. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that when Sue and I had blueprints made for the remodeling of our home, we planned a tai chi room that would be dedicated to the practice.
In the meantime, however, my condition was still hanging over my head. My doctor informed me that statistics showed a higher cure rate after a second operation, and I decided to do it. The operation was performed in June of this year.
That’s when I really noticed what two years of tai chi had done for me. After the first operation, my recovery had been slow. I had considerable irritation and swelling around the wound, and had to receive anti-inflammation medication. It was one month before my stitches were taken out.
What happened this time, however, was extraordinary. It started at the hospital, on the fifth day of my recovery. The doctor had just cut the bandages off, and I had a head full of dried blood. I looked like a mess. A voice in my mind said, “You gotta do a form,” meaning a round of the tai chi exercise. It was a crazy idea – I had just started walking on the third day after the operation, with assistance from Sue. Up to that point I did not have the balance to stay on my feet unassisted. Most of the other patients who had had operations on the same day as me were still flat on their backs. But the voice wouldn’t be denied. “You gotta do a form,” it insisted.
Inspired by this conviction, and without any support, I walked out into the hallway, in full view of the nurses, orderlies and other patients, and started doing the slow-motion tai chi movements. Slowly, people took notice, stopped what they were doing and watched. The nurses, janitors, patients—everybody. It was as if we had all entered a zone of stillness. For two years, I had listened while we talked about chi energy in class, but to me this had always been intangible. Suddenly, it was as real as anything I had ever experienced. When I was finished, I felt like a million bucks, like I had never had the operation. That one round of tai chi seemed to have wiped all of that out. I was uplifted – not just my spirits, but my soul – to a point where I felt just great. One of the nurses asked, “Were you dancing?” A patient in the room next to mine said, “That was very nice.” I felt so good that I wanted to keep going. So I walked around the entire wing, unassisted, practicing walking meditation, coordinating my in-breath and out-breath with my steps as we occasionally do in class. Afterwards, I didn’t feel like lying down again; I just wanted to sit on the side of the bed. I was released later that same day.
This time, there was no inflammation and no redness around the wound. My stitches were out in two weeks, and one month after the operation, I was in Aruba, vacationing with my family, and improving my strength and balance by doing tai chi in the sand. The pain has not returned, and week by week the medications are decreased. I’m on my way to a full recovery, and tai chi deserves a big part of the credit.
Zoey's story
At one point, I actually got a few people to write their own stories! I welcome you to send your stories too, so I can post them here... or else I might just write your story for you! Of course I won't use your name or any private or identifying information, unless you want me to...
Here's Zoey's story, written back in 2005!
For nearly all of my life, I have had a slew of physial health issues. I have had terrible seasonal and food allergies, asthma, and eczema since soon after I was born. This year I turned 14, and a new asthma medication caused me yet a new issue with my stomach (Candida in my esophagus). All year, I had been going to a ridiculous number of doctors, and at one point I had been prescribed 9 medications. Both of my parents had been helped by acupuncture in the past, and by the end of the school year, we began to consider having me try it. We had no idea how effective it would be.
At first, I was hesitant to try acupuncture. From what I had heard, I had the image in my head of a giant pin-cushion. But not only has acupuncture been worthwhile for me, but it is not at all painful. The only part of acupuncture that you actually feel is when a needle first goes in, and there’s a quick ‘zing!’ And there really is no other way to describe it. It’s not a particularly painful zing, and it lasts only a short moment until it’s gone.
Both long term, and short-term heath issues have dramatically improved since I began acupuncture. My stomach, and food allergies were fixed up within weeks. Sudden attacks of asthma, allergic reactions, and skin reactions have been reduced immediately. I have gone into acupuncture with the room spinning from a bad plane ride the day before, and left feeling completely normal.
I am continuing acupuncture with hopes that I can get off my remaining few medications at some point over the next year. And with the results that my family and I have been seeing in my health since I began acupuncture, it’s likely to happen soon. : )
Hives
It often happens that while people are going through a particular part of their lives, I see them on a fairly regular basis, maybe once a week, sometimes more often... Sometimes I liken it to a short story: a character is presented dealing with a situation, the story unfolds, changes, and thankfully acupuncture usually moves the story to a happier outcome!
When patients get better, they disappear...Sometimes I never hear from them again, sometimes I hear about them through someone they refer to me. And sometimes later, even years later, they show up in my life again - this time in a different chapter in their lives, and it's like I have the sequel short story to the one I got before!
I had one patient who came to me when I first opened my practice, in 1999. Back then she was just starting out as a paralegal, after having been a nurse for many years. We talked a lot about medicine and hospitals, and so on. She was coming in with shoulder pain, which is easy to treat with acupuncture... I think it was just one treatment for that!
I didn't hear from her for a long time - then 8 years later, she calls up. She's gone on to have 2 babies... and now she has a new thing. She gets hives! She used to get it periodically before, but now, it's really bad hives, seems that stress brings it on. And western drugs don't seem to help all that much.
Chinese medicine thinks of hives as a kind of heat in the blood. If we can clear the heat, the skin clears up. And the heat can come from different sources but in her case, it was how her body was manifesting stress. Stress or tension cuts down the circulation of qi. When qi is not moving well, all sorts of things can happen. One manifestation can be that wherever the qi is stuck it builds up heat, sort of like a pressure cooker. Another factor here is the birth of 2 kids. We consider pregnancy to be a drain on the mother's qi and blood, and giving birth to be a loss of blood. This is why she can be tired during pregnancy, have a lot of Spleen issues (I explain elsewhere, but basically the "Spleen" is a digestive organ in our medicine that takes qi out of food and translates that into energy the body can use for movement - and to make more blood). In this case, qi stagnation was heating up the blood already deficient blood. By the principle of balance of yin and yang, "temperature" is governed by the heating and the cooling aspects being in balance. Qi is warming, blood is cooling. Too little blood and too much qi congesting in one area was heating up the blood and causing it to manifest on the skin as hives: hot red patches appearing all over the body, but especially difficult to tolerate higher up in the body, like the face... why that is? Because heat rises.
Amazingly, acupuncture was making a difference! After even one treatment, she was feeling better. That year she came 4 times in a row. The hives came back periodically, but it seemed that several sessions in a row seemed to take care of things for several months.
But this year, a confluence of events led to a very serious outbreak. No matter what I tried, the acupuncture wasn't making as much progress as before - she would feel better right after the treatment, but then it would come back. Medicine and the healing process is nothing if not humbling... The case was so bad that she had to go to the hospital... Since then it's been lingering even with the drugs she has been taking. Now it's time to go back with the acupuncture and get off these drugs!
There is something called "root and branch" in Chinese medicine: there's treating symptoms (branches) or treating the source (root). Sometimes acupuncture alone is not enough to treat the root. Lifestyle changes, such as including time for relaxation or meditation, can make the biggest difference. Sometimes the diet needs to be tweaked. Sometimes a course of herbs is needed to tip the balance. Treating the root takes more patience and time... and with the western impatience we are brought up with, all we want to do is get rid of the symptoms, now!
When patients get better, they disappear...Sometimes I never hear from them again, sometimes I hear about them through someone they refer to me. And sometimes later, even years later, they show up in my life again - this time in a different chapter in their lives, and it's like I have the sequel short story to the one I got before!
I had one patient who came to me when I first opened my practice, in 1999. Back then she was just starting out as a paralegal, after having been a nurse for many years. We talked a lot about medicine and hospitals, and so on. She was coming in with shoulder pain, which is easy to treat with acupuncture... I think it was just one treatment for that!
I didn't hear from her for a long time - then 8 years later, she calls up. She's gone on to have 2 babies... and now she has a new thing. She gets hives! She used to get it periodically before, but now, it's really bad hives, seems that stress brings it on. And western drugs don't seem to help all that much.
Chinese medicine thinks of hives as a kind of heat in the blood. If we can clear the heat, the skin clears up. And the heat can come from different sources but in her case, it was how her body was manifesting stress. Stress or tension cuts down the circulation of qi. When qi is not moving well, all sorts of things can happen. One manifestation can be that wherever the qi is stuck it builds up heat, sort of like a pressure cooker. Another factor here is the birth of 2 kids. We consider pregnancy to be a drain on the mother's qi and blood, and giving birth to be a loss of blood. This is why she can be tired during pregnancy, have a lot of Spleen issues (I explain elsewhere, but basically the "Spleen" is a digestive organ in our medicine that takes qi out of food and translates that into energy the body can use for movement - and to make more blood). In this case, qi stagnation was heating up the blood already deficient blood. By the principle of balance of yin and yang, "temperature" is governed by the heating and the cooling aspects being in balance. Qi is warming, blood is cooling. Too little blood and too much qi congesting in one area was heating up the blood and causing it to manifest on the skin as hives: hot red patches appearing all over the body, but especially difficult to tolerate higher up in the body, like the face... why that is? Because heat rises.
Amazingly, acupuncture was making a difference! After even one treatment, she was feeling better. That year she came 4 times in a row. The hives came back periodically, but it seemed that several sessions in a row seemed to take care of things for several months.
But this year, a confluence of events led to a very serious outbreak. No matter what I tried, the acupuncture wasn't making as much progress as before - she would feel better right after the treatment, but then it would come back. Medicine and the healing process is nothing if not humbling... The case was so bad that she had to go to the hospital... Since then it's been lingering even with the drugs she has been taking. Now it's time to go back with the acupuncture and get off these drugs!
There is something called "root and branch" in Chinese medicine: there's treating symptoms (branches) or treating the source (root). Sometimes acupuncture alone is not enough to treat the root. Lifestyle changes, such as including time for relaxation or meditation, can make the biggest difference. Sometimes the diet needs to be tweaked. Sometimes a course of herbs is needed to tip the balance. Treating the root takes more patience and time... and with the western impatience we are brought up with, all we want to do is get rid of the symptoms, now!
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