Acupuncture

50 Ways to Leave Your Acupuncturist

I’m a lucky acupuncturist.

I work with wonderful people every day and I get to hear your stories, celebrate when you get well and watch your families grow up.

I always try to think of ways to improve your health but suddenly it occurred to me—there is one way I haven’t yet helped you.

I haven’t given you a definitive guide to staying healthy.

This pains me. Not only have I neglected giving you the secret to good health but also if I give it to you, you’ll leave me. You won’t need me anymore.

The more I thought about this, the more nervous I became. You see, there’s not one way to stay well, not two or three.

In fact, there must be 50 ways to leave your acupuncturist. (Read more…)

Spring Acupuncture Tips to Keep You Healthy, Happy and Flexible

Spring is a happy time. Bunnies hop about. Flowers emerge in long forgotten corners of your garden. The birds return and sing so loudly they wake you in the morning.

This is not a time to be angry.

But according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, being angry is exactly what you can expect if you don’t balance your wood element.

In TCM, spring is represented by the element wood. Wood represents birth and newness, the time for fresh ideas and new starts. Unsurprisingly, its color is green like the fresh growth of spring.

Wood governs your spine, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. A wood imbalance can lead to spinal problems, poor flexibility or arthritis. Wood also governs your eyes.

But most important for your mood, wood governs your liver. Read More…

How to End the Terrible Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatments

Having breast cancer is hard. Your body wages a war against cancer cells and your emotions may slide into fear, grief, anxiety and depression.

And unfortunately, the side effects from breast cancer treatments can make it even worse.

Until now, many people thought they had to suffer through all the discomfort. But new research shows that acupuncture is very effective at relieving the side effects of breast cancer treatments.
Continue reading…

How to End Seasonal Affective Disorder and Start Loving Winter

Many people feel down as winter approaches. It’s dark. It’s cold. The holidays can be stressful.

But for some people every winter is unbearable. They’re tired and depressed. They don’t want to get out of bed. They snap at their families and binge on junk food.

These people have seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Our moods and energy levels fluctuate with the seasons. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) understands these cycles but modern life does not. These days, you are expected to be active, productive and creative at all times of the year. There is no accommodation for a slow, quiet winter. According to TCM, this conflict causes stress, which can result in SAD.

Read the rest…

Chinese lunar New Year: A do-over for your New Year’s resolutions

It’s about almost month into the New Year. Do you already wish you had a do-over for your New Year’s Resolutions?

If so, you’re in luck. You do.

February 10th is the Chinese lunar New Year. The celebration of the New Year, the Spring Festival, is China’s longest and most important holiday. Because it is based on a different calendar, it falls on a different date between January 21 and February 20 every year. You can think of Spring Festival as Christmas and New Year all rolled into one. Just like our holiday season, it’s a time of celebration, visiting family and friends, giving gifts and preparing for the next year.