Category: Pain

Spring!

4/24/2023

Spring is finally here!

Do you know how I know? The symptoms that you all are coming in with!

Spring is the season associated with the Liver, in Chinese Medicine. The Liver, when it's out of balance, shows particular symptoms. Have you been experiencing any of these?

Allergies, especially eye symptoms
Worsening or flaring of Eczema symptoms
Irritability/Easily frustrated
Increased sense of stress or overwhelm
Worsening of pain symptoms - particularly those with an immune component
Trouble sleeping, especially if you're waking between 1am-3am
In folks who menstruate - increased PMS, clotting, cramping, and a general "That was a weird one!" sense of your cycle
In perimenopausal folks - temporarily worsening of your hotflash/nightsweats situation

The Liver is associated with the element of Wood. Just like the trees budding, bulbs popping up out of the ground, and grass growing crazy fast, our energy is ready to emerge for the season! Winter time is a time to rest and repair and rebuild. Spring is a time to emerge, grow and expand. Many of us are experiencing worsened symptoms because the weather hasn't been cooperating with our energetic and mental desires to start moving, growing and changing!

In order to help ease your Livery symptoms, consider trying some of these tactics!

MOVE! - Go for a walk or a run, do some yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong. Just be gentle with your first few outings. It's really easy to injure your tendons and ligaments (also associated with the Liver!) after being more stationary for the season.
Eat sour things! - The sour flavor is associated with the Liver - citrus of all types, but also many fresh fruits and berries can help move your stuck Qi
Green things! - Green is the color associated with the Liver - Eat leafy greens of all sorts, wear green, paint your nails green, green green green!
This one is my personal favorite - Garden - Getting your hands dirty while hanging out in the dirt and plant life and getting a bit of exercise can really break up the stuckness that you might be feeling!
Of course, acupuncture is a FANTASTIC tool for getting our energy moving as well!
If your body is being PARTICULARLY stubborn, an appropriate Chinese herbal formula might be needed

As you can see from the photo of the office - my family and I spent some time weeding and mowing this weekend. We still have a TON of work ahead of us, but I look forward to my dirt time medicine for the springtime BLAHS!

Until Next Time! <3 Becca

0 Comments

Acupuncture Can be a Great Way To Treat Dog Arthritis

7/14/2014

0 Comments

I recently wrote an article on treating your dog for arthritis using acupuncture and Chinese medicine. I included 4 Dos and 4 Don'ts when considering acupuncture for your pet, there are even some things you can do at home to help your furry friend feel younger again! Check it out!

0 Comments

How Does Acupuncture Reduce Pain?

6/11/2014

0 Comments

Image courtesy of Artur84 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I get asked all the time, how it is that acupuncture reduces pain, so I figured I'd answer it here as well, since many of you are probably wondering the same thing!

Let's start with what we know biomedically about how acupuncture relieves pain:

It releases endorphins which are our bodies' natural painkillers
It decreases inflammation
It increases blood flow to the injured area

And here's how Chinese medical theory looks at it (and remember, acupuncture was invented long before we had biomedical testing and imaging - the ancient Chinese used metaphors seen in nature to describe the workings of the human body):

Think of the body as a river system, with rivers and streams flowing all throughout your body. When healthy, our rivers should be unblocked and smooth-flowing. When we get injured (as in the picture above - ouch!), a dam is placed across the rivers, and they can no longer flow smoothly, or even in the same directions that they previously had. When the rivers aren't reaching the same areas they used to, the symptom that we experience is pain. So what acupuncture does is remove the dam so that the rivers can flow smoothly once again.

Now, let's compare the two ways of looking at acupuncture (biomedical and Chinese medical theories): Couldn't inflammation and decreased blood flow be analagous to a dam across a river? And by removing that dam, wouldn't we be restoring (blood) flow to the area?

I know that oftentimes acupuncture seems mysterious and almost magical in its theories, but if you can see through the metaphors, you'll find that the ancient Chinese were on to something. They had the story right, it's just that some of the details had different names!

0 Comments

Chinese Herbal Tylenol

1/3/2014

1 Comment

A new study shows that the herb Corydalis (known as Yan Hu Suo in Chinese medicine) is effective at decreasing pain. Especially long-term, low level chronic pain.

There's a reason my teachers called this herb the Tylenol of Chinese medicine! Now, just imagine how effective it is when it's used in a pain-relieving Chinese herbal formula that's been formulated just for you and the specifics of your pain!

1 Comment

Alternative Medicine Helps Chronic Sinusitis

3/22/2012

1 Comment

This study took patients who'd come to a dead end in biomedical treatments without getting full relief from their chronic sinus pain and treated them with many components of Chinese medicine (acupuncture, acupressure, diet changes and exercises).

Most of the patients got at least some relief from their symptoms which is great! However, I wonder how much better the patients may have gotten if individualized herbal formulas had been prescribed?

In China, herbal medicine is actually the more popular treatment method and is used right along side biomedicine!

1 Comment

Ear Acupuncture

5/19/2011

2 Comments

Auricular acupuncture, acupuncture that is done in the ear, is a common system for treating almost any health complaints. It's most known for its use in treating drug addiction, but it can be used for so much more! Even the military is starting to use it to help ease PTSD and pain.

Auricular acupuncture is considered a microsystem. Much like reflexology (which is also a micro-system - of the foot), the entire body is reflected in the ear. Take a look at the picture above. If you use your imagination, you can see the human figure. (The picture I chose even has a skeleton superimposed to help with those of us with a little weaker imagination skills ;) ) The ear lobe represents and treats the head, the middle ridge of the ear treats the spine and the deep part of the ear near the ear canal treats our internal organs.

I've used the ear to treat many conditions, including assisting with weight loss, addiction, quitting smoking, back pain, labor pain reduction, stress reduction, anxiety and depression. I've even used it to help a cat with cancer who had no appetite and hadn't eaten, except when force-fed, for almost 2 weeks. I needled his ears and within 10 minutes he was scarfing down a bowl of canned cat food!

In addition to needles, we have what are called "ear seeds." Ear seeds can be an actual seed (often a mustard seed that has been treated so it won't sprout) or a tiny metallic ball that is placed on the point in the ear and then held in place with a tiny band-aid. The benefit? They're a great way to extend your treatment between appointments! Yep - feeling stressed? Press on your ear seeds to help even your mood. Experiencing back pain? Press those seeds!

For an over all pick-me-up, feel free to massage your ears! It may look a little silly, but you'll be having the last laugh when you're feeling reduced stress and increased energy!

2 Comments

Car Insurance Covers Acupuncture

1/17/2011

0 Comments

Did you know that in the state of Oregon, you don't need a referral for acupuncture should you be involved in a motor-vehicle accident? It doesn't matter who's at fault, either.

If you've been a follower of this blog, you know how helpful acupuncture can be for managing pain, so if you're ever injured in a car accident, don't hesitate to call your acupuncturist. The sooner you seek treatment, the sooner you'll be back to your normal activities.

0 Comments

Moxibustion

9/2/2010

8 Comments

This post comes to you on the suggestion from this post earlier this week.

I don't believe I've talked about Moxibustion in this blog, which is a bit of an oversight. See, I'm allergic to the smoke associated with the burning of moxa (mugwort) and so didn't even think about writing about it!

Thanks, Carolyn, for bringing it up as a topic!

As I mentioned in passing above, Moxibustion is the burning of the herb Moxa. Moxa is the western herb mugwort. The fluffy herb can be burned several different ways:

Loose Moxa can be pressed into a little ball shape and placed on the handle of the needle and burned.
Loose Moxa can be pressed into a little cone shape and placed on a patch of ointment directly on the skin. The cone is then allowed to burn until the patient begins to feel heat and then quickly removed. In China they will allow the moxa cone to burn to the point of blistering, creating a scar. This is called scarring moxa, and for, hopefully, obvious reasons isn't practiced in the US.
Moxa can be purchased in a cigar-shaped stick which is then burned and held over the skin. There are two forms of moxa sticks: green moxa, where the herb is pressed together and rolled into the cigar; and a moxa stick where the moxa has been made into a charcoal cigar.
Loose Moxa can be burned inside a special box (a moxabox) with holes in the sides to allow smoke to exit, which is then held over the skin.

So what is the purpose of burning moxa? Moxa is an extremely warming and moving herb so it can be used for many reasons:

Body Aches - Pain is caused, in Chinese medical theory, by a lack of proper movement of energy. Moxa, when burned over the area will get that energy moving and decrease the pain.
Skin Rashes - Some skin rashes are also caused by Qi not moving properly, so moxibustion may be indicated.
Turning a breech baby - When burned on certain points, moxa can be very successful in turning breech babies. Many nurses and midwives even know of this technique and will recommend that their patients find an acupuncturist to get that baby in the proper position!
Cold conditions - Okay, so this reason for using moxa doesn't have a singular biomedical equivalent, so we'll discuss it a little bit. In Chinese medical theory, the quality of something being cold will cause its energy to move more slowly. If that cold is inside our bodies, it will cause our Qi to move more slowly, often causing pain. Cold can be one of the contributing factors to pain. There are many conditions where cold can be a factor, such as menstrual cramps, digestive troubles, infertility, diarrhea and more. Moxa, because it is both warming and moving, is perfect for counteracting the effects of cold in the body.

So, while I don't use Moxibustion in my practice because I'm allergic to the smoke, I have sent moxa sticks home with patients who could really use a little warming over their abdomens. Sometimes there's nothing better than a hot stick of moxa in the morning!

8 Comments

National Headache Awareness Week

6/8/2010

1 Comment

This week is National Headache Awareness Week. Acupuncture can be used to both ease the pain of a current headache as well as prevent future headaches.

It doesn't matter what type of headache you experience, either. Be it your run of the mill headache, tension headaches, migraines or cluster headaches. They can be related to stress or hormones. No matter the cause or type of headache, Chinese medicine has a way of getting them out of your life!

Below are some acupressure points that you can massage in order to ease your headache. For best results, find a licensed acupuncturist who you can work with to determine your Chinese medical diagnosis and get to the bottom of your pain.

Large Intestine 4 (LI4) is a point that strongly moves Qi in the body. This point can also be used to specifically treat disorders of the head - perfect for headaches! Do not massage this point if you are pregnant.

Du 20 is a great point for treating many disorders of the head, based on its location. This point will be especially effective if your headache is near the acupuncture point!

Heart 7 (Ht7), as well as all of the rest of the points along the crease-lines of your wrist, are great for treating headaches that are located in the base of your neck. There are several acupuncture micro-systems that portray the hand as your head, with the wrist crease representing the back of the neck where it meets your head.

If your headaches are located at your temples, massage them! Tai Yang is an acupuncture point located in your temples!

And, like massaging your temples, feel free to massage the areas where you experience pain. We have many many acupuncture points on our heads, (which would make for a very long blog post!) so chances are you'll be massaging one or more!

1 Comment

Plantar Fasciitis

3/18/2010

0 Comments

Plantar Fasciitis is a common cause of foot pain. It is inflammation due to micro tears of the fibrous band that connects our heel to the ball of our foot, as pictured to the left. Many people will experience this as pain upon standing first thing in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time. For some, the Plantar Fasciitis may become extreme and be painful at all times of the day. In the long term, Plantar Fasciitis may lead to bone spurs where the fascia meets the heal which can also be extremely painful.

Common treatments for Plantar Fasciitis include:

splinting the foot at night
anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or bromelain
stretching the calf muscles
icing the arches
wearing proper arch supports

I have found acupuncture and reflexology to be especially helpful, in addition to the above treatments, to speed the healing of this painful condition.

Acupuncture is very effective at reducing swelling, inflammation and the pain associated with Plantar Fasciitis.

Reflexology is great for addressing any underlying causes of unhealth, but on a more physical level, reflexology helps to stretch and realign the foot, preventing any further damage, and allowing the foot to heal.

If you're suffering from this common form of foot pain, consider seeing an acupuncturist. It'll feel good to get back on your feet!

0 Comments

<<Previous

Categories