Acupuncture Healthcare

It seems a bit early in the season to be writing this blog, but San Francisco is experiencing a heat wave.  If you work in the heat or you are out enjoying the sunny weather, there are simple things you can do for yourself to keep from overheating and keep your system cool while you work or play.

Drinking peppermint tea is cooling and refreshing; it clears surface heat and moves the Liver.  Chrysanthemum tea is particularly helpful in the summer as it too clears Heat, calms the Liver, reduces summer fever, and relieves headache and dry-eyes due to Wind-Heat.  Or you can combine equal parts chrysanthemum flowers and peppermint leaves  with a quarter part of goji berries for a lovely summer drink.  Brew in hot water for 5 minutes, strain, and then drink hot or refrigerate for a cool drink.   Watermelon juice is also a tasty way to relieve summer-heat and it nourishes the yin fluids–this link on watermelon juice goes into greater detail.

Tags: headache, nourishing fluids, Recipes, summer heat

I thought I would quickly blog on the first problem Chinese medicine solved for me and numerous patients of mine.  My own bout of TMJ was probably due to a number of factors.  I have a history of orthodontics in my early teens which corrected an over-bite and straightened my teeth.  This alone is cause for a case of TMJ, but my own flare ups began to occur in college around exam time.  The stress and intense studying sessions caused me to clench my teeth at night.  I would wake up to an incredibly sore jaw and my gums felt battered from where my teeth had been pressed into the sockets.  I saw the on-campus dentist who assured me nothing was wrong and sent me on my way.  I thought there was nothing I could do, and so I simply lived with it.

Several years later, I started acupuncture school, and the pain returned when the long hours of studying and exams reappeared.  Luckily for me, this time I knew that acupuncture was helpful for pain, and I made an appointment with one of my teachers.  Five or six treatments later I was TMJ pain free and have been ever since.  Also, I was able to complete the four-year, master’s degree program without the pain and discomfort of my undergrad years.

And in case you are wondering what TMJ is, it’s an umbrella term that covers both acute and chronic inflammation and pain of the temporomandibular joint.

Tags: pain, pain relief, TMJ

Wind Invasion is pretty much what it sounds like. In Chinese Medicine, Wind is a significant cause of disease. Wind-Colds are “caught” not by coughing on each other (that’s flues and epidemic diseases), but by Wind first invading the nape of the neck and then Cold getting into the channels and collaterals of the body. Usually the first place people notice a Wind Invasion is the back of their neck; suddenly their neck feels “out” or tense. Other signs are sudden onset of runny, clear nasal discharge, tight throat or slightly raw throat, and/or the feeling that they are not quite “right.” Most people ignore these signs, which then leads them directly into the next stage of disease, Wind-Heat, which presents as body aches and chills, sore throat, runny nose, cough, and fever.

Wind doesn’t have to present as a common cold. It can be seen in other disorders and diseases as well, but we have to distinguish between Internal and External Wind. External Wind is the easiest to understand because everyone has experienced the wind on their face. External Wind can enter the body to cause common colds, Bells Palsy, and facial tics. Internal Wind takes place within our channels and collaterals. An External Wind can go deep into our body and become Internal Wind or an imbalance of Yin/Yang may cause Internal Wind to rush to the head causing facial tics, migraine headaches, epilepsy, and mania.

Spring is a windy season, so I always suggest to patients to wear a scarf to protect the back of the neck. If you are feeling weak and run-down, do not stand, play, or hang-out in the Wind—by doing that you can avoid a case of Bell’s Palsy. If you have a Wind Invasion, simply take a hot bath and get under the covers to sweat it out of the muscle layer. You can also take Yu Ping Feng San (Jade Windscreen Formula) to push out Wind and boost immunity. It’s a great formula to have on hand when you are feeling run down and susceptible to colds.

If however, you have a case of the facial tics, Bell’s Palsy, migraine headaches, or you have waited too long and now have a cold, then I suggest you see your acupuncturist today.  Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine are effective for treating Wind, Internal and External.

Tags: Bell's Palsy, headache, health care, Health Products, neck

Five Element Theory tells us that Spring is dominated by the Liver-Wood Element.  Spring is green, little sprouts popping up out of the dark ground of Winter—a time of fast growth, high energy, and movement.  Our Yang energies are rising and we feel stronger, more invigorated after a quiet, restful Winter, the time when the Yin energies are dominant.  But we must still be careful to not overtax this rising Yang, it is not the full Yang of Summer, so we need to continue to nourish ourselves and treat our bodies with respect.

With the strong feeling of rising Yang, we are prone to give into excess.  Too much alcohol, coffee, sugar, over-exercising, exerting our bodies and our minds beyond our limits can damage the Yang Qi, which will lead to illness in Fall and Winter and mental depression and irritability.

Health tips for nourishing the Liver-Wood Element:

*Rise early and allow the natural springiness of this season to circulate through your four limbs–that is, get up and exercise!

*If your Liver feels sluggish and is having difficulty greeting its season, take 30 drops of milk thistle tincture in a small glass of warm water for two weeks and EXERCISE daily.  The Liver loves movement and will stagnate under sedentary states such as the couch potato lag.  Vigorous walks, jogging, swimming, dancing, tai chi, gong fu—activities that move the entire body rather than focus on a body part such as body building are especially beneficial to the Liver.

*Eat seasonally!  This is when the dark, leafy greens and bitters begin to show up.  Dandelion greens, burdock root, swiss chard, kale–these foods will naturally disperse stagnation and clear Heat.

Tags: experiments, five elements, health care

Remember those photos of Gwyneth Paltrow that everyone got excited about? Well here’s a little information on cupping for you.

Cupping utilizes a vacuum suction from either glass or plastic cups to move *Qi and Blood. Basically, that means cupping pulls blood into an area that needs circulation, for example an unresolved injury. This will bring pain relief and I find most people love the massage quality of the treatment.

Cupping is also used to dispel Dampness, Wind and/or Heat. For example, cupping to clear Heat often requires needling first and then adding cups over the needled area to drain Heat. An example of this is a cough that has a lot of Heat symptoms, such as yellow phlegm, red tongue, rapid pulse, and pain when coughing. The cupping drains the Heat to stop cough, open the Lungs, and resolve Phlegm.

There are a few ways to cup. Moving cupping often feels like a deep tissue massage. A salve or lotion is first put on the body; then once the cup is attached, it is moved around on the surface of the skin. Stationary cupping is simply attaching the cup and letting it sit in an area without moving it. Jumping cupping is attaching and detaching, reattaching and detaching, again and again over an area. If you are a visual learner, check out this CBS News video.

More information and history

*Capitalization of terms is used when Traditional Chinese Medicine vernacular is used–the words look familiar, but may be thought of or used to mean something you are unfamiliar with in Chinese Medicine. These terms are well explained in the book The Web that has no Weaver if you are interested in reading further.

Tags: back, coughs, cupping, pain, pain relief, sore muscles

Moxibustion is the application of heat from burning certain herbal substances on or near the acupuncture points. Primarily mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, is used. Moxa is useful for tonifying deficient conditions, moving stagnant Qi and Blood, and dispelling Cold in the Meridians.  Frankly, I love the stuff.

A little moxa over ST36, Zu San Li, can wake you up and keep you going better than a cup of coffee.  Moxa SJ4, Yang Chi, on a woman with a cold, amenorrheic uterus and within a week or two her body begins to remember what it’s like to have regular periods.  For a case of severe diarrhea put a quarter inch thick piece of ginger over the belly button and light a cone of moxa on top of the ginger a couple of times (until the heat has settled in); the frequency and violence of the diarrhea stops–awesome for stomach viruses.  I could go on and on about the uses of moxa, but this blog was simply an introduction to why your acupuncturist might be using it on you.

Moxa can be burned in multiple forms, so I’ve supplied some visuals.  The rolling tiger warmer is rolled over the body.  The moxa box is used for large areas such as the abdomen or back.  The little stick-on Japanese moxa is great for getting directly at the acupuncture points.

Tags: health care, Health Products, menstruation

Insomnia can be acute or chronic.  It can come and go, sometimes seemingly without reason.  Without getting into a whole lot of depth–insomnia is a big subject and I will address it deeper in the future–I want to leave a laundry list of things you can do for yourself if an acute attack of insomnia has hit.

1.  Acupuncture, see your acupuncturist for this.
2.  Warm epsom salt bath with lavender essential oil (just a couple of drops) before bed.
3.  Do not read anything stimulating, watch tv, or listen to loud, disruptive music two hours before bed.
4.  Exercise in the morning or early part of the day, not in the evening.  And if you don’t exercise, start doing it now.
5.  Darken bright rooms at night.
6.  If you are sensitive to noise, try earplugs–you may need to try a number of different types to find the ones that work for you.  Move your bed to a quieter room in the house, though sometimes a simple white noise masking device used in therapy offices works best.
7.  Is the room too cold or too hot?  Experiment with getting the temperature that’s right for you.  More blankets on your side of the bed less on your partner.  Open windows, close windows.
8.  Food can be stimulating and cause problems.  Cut caffeinated drinks out, or if you must have your coffee/tea drink it in the morning only.  Garlic, hot spicy foods, greasy and otherwise difficult to digest foods can make sleeping difficult.  Garlic and hot peppers will cause hot flashing in some people at night.

Tags: epsom salts, experiments, Insomnia

Sprains, strains, breaks, sore muscles, osteoarthritis, and inflamed physical injuries benefit from an assortment of acupuncture techniques and products to aid the healing process.  I will quickly tell you of three of my favorite “rubs.”

Zheng Gu Shui liniment is used for sprains, strains, broken bones, deep bruising, and arthritis.  It penetrates deeply and must be rubbed in for five to ten minutes each time it is applied.  I often use it in conjunction with a needling treatment to supplement and facilitate deeper healing of an area.

Spring Wind Dr. Shir’s Liniment helps to relieve pain and swelling of sprains and strains, also good for sore muscles and sore and swollen joints when massaged into the area for five to ten minutes.

Traumeel is particularly awesome for inflammation and an analgesic for arthritis and sore muscles.  Often times I use Spring Wind Liniment in combination with Traumeel for arthritic patients and particularly tense muscles and spasms.

Tags: arthritis, back, broken bones, neck, pain, sore muscles, sprains, strains

Epsom salts, magnesium sulfate, are a gift for sore muscles, inflammation, circulation, and stress relief.  Often after an acupuncture treatment for pain (lumbar, neck, headaches, carpal tunnel, and so on), I recommend a patient take a warm-hot Epsom salt bath to alleviate any residual inflammation and to address any soreness that occurs from the treatment.  Once a qi-blood blockage in the body (the source of pain itself) is begins to move, there is sometimes mild soreness.

For example, when a patient comes in complaining of tension headaches and a physical examination notes that the neck muscles are tense, “knotted,” and have a limited range of motion, after an acupuncture treatment, the neck may feel slightly tender to the touch, even though range of motion and movement is smoother, wider and more comfortable.  To alleviate the residual inflammation, I suggest relaxing in an Epsom salt bath to further enhance the treatment.  The combination works wonders.

Tags: back, health care, neck, pain

Soup.  I love soup and encourage patients to eat soup.  Clear broth soups are easy to digest, serve to nourish the body fluids, tonify the digestive function of the stomach and colon, and strengthen the appetite.

Try eating soup for one week solid, for two meals a day and you will see how sharply your appetite begins to focus.  You will know exactly what you want to eat and how much to eat, this is something my husband calls the “appetite intelligence.”  Usually we attribute this intelligence to pregnant women that have a particular craving for some kind of food, but in reality we all have this appetite intelligence.  Unfortunately, our busy lives and irregular eating habits, over-indulgence in caffeine and sugar products all contribute to throw-off our inner-appetite-guidance system.  Soup is an easy remedy, and one I recommend to patients with weight issues, eating disorders, low- or no-appetite, strong sugar or neo-carb (all processed wheat and sugar snacks) cravings, and anyone interested in understanding their own appetites.  It’s fun to experiment and frankly I enjoy the sharp sensation of knowing whether or not I want fresh ginger or perhaps a chopped pickle in my ramen bowl.

To help folks get started with soup, I recommend buying or making good stock.  I will get into stock recipes at a later date, but today, to start your soup experiments now, I recommend:  Better than Bouillon (hands down my favorite) or Trader Joe’s Savory Broth Liquid Concentrates.

Tags: appetite, experiments, soup