‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ was given to my son, Jack soon after he was born. It has become one of his very favorite stories, and this particular excerpt is one of his favorite parts of the story. This well known book is about a stuffed animal rabbit that is given to a boy in his stocking. When the Rabbit is placed in the nursery, he notices the personalities and interactions of all the toys. The Rabbit has a few questions, and understands that the Skin Horse is the right person with which to speak…
Allergies are commonly experienced in the Spring and Fall and can be very disruptive to life. A common question people ask is, can acupuncture help ease or eliminate allergies? The answer is yes, Chinese medicine and acupuncture helps reduce inflammation, clear phlegm and strengthen and regulate the immune system. There are a few things that we can do for ourselves at home as well. Click Read More for a few ideas:
Signed up for an athletic event this year? Most people seek out an acupuncturist to treat injuries and address pain. While Chinese medicine and acupuncture is a good choice for such treatment, it also effectively addresses athletic training and recovery, specifically in the areas of circulation, respiration, nutrition and digestion, and to nourish the fluids and blood.
Chinese medicine and acupuncture addresses a wide variety of health conditions at their root cause. It’s primary purpose is to facilitate regulation, restore balance and nourish. The following outline briefly describes a few areas of women’s health in which Chinese medicine and acupuncture treat well: Menstruation, Fertility, Pregnancy, Post Partum, Menopause, Libido
Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa, which resides within the joint space, for example, where the “ball and socket” meet in the shoulder or hip. Quite often, people come into the office with questions about bursitis. There is a simple test that I perform to differentiate between actual bursitis, or pain from the muscle/tendon/ligament interaction with a joint. For those of you who do experience bursitis, or any type of inflammation for that matter, it is best to continue passive stretches and comfortable exercise, and eat foods that do not create more inflammation in the system.
The other day my car felt a little strange while driving, so when I got home I opened the hood. The engine was far too hot, so I checked the oil and of course it was low. And dirty. If she didn’t get an oil change soon, the whole system would shut down. Then I thought, cars really are like people, especially women, both get cranky when fluids levels decrease.
The sciatic nerve travels from the lower back to the foot. On it’s way to the foot, the nerve travels through the pelvic bone along with major stabilizing muscles such as the piriformis, psoas, and the gluteus muscle group. When these muscles are tight or inflamed, they can irritate the nerve. Sciatica refers to the painful condition experienced when the nerve is irritated, and will then refer pain along it’s path: through the buttocks, legs, the lower back, and sometimes all three areas. Read this article to see the most common causes of Sciatica Pain…
The topic of “stress” comes as a request from one of my sisters. I thanked her for the idea, since after many years of writing an article every month, it is sometimes difficult to think of an interesting topic! Rather than echo well known and valid remedies for stress such as exercise and meditation, the focus of this article will include a couple of aspects of the “civilized” stressors…
So many cultures include some type of vinegar or a fermented food with their meals. For example, a dish in Germany will include sauerkraut or a side dish of beans and vegetables fermented in vinegar. Besides being very tasty, fermented foods and vinegar assist in healthy digestion. Since many people do not include these food varieties on a daily basis, a good alternative is to drink a little apple cider vinegar (fermented apple cider) with water before meals.
In this article I’ll provide some background information about the digestive system and how fermented vinegar can help.
“Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” refers to the pain in the center of the wrist that is typically worse when holding something, or if the wrist is flexed or extended. In addition to this very painful inflammatory condition, quite often, the pain experienced in the wrist is also due to tight muscles in the neck and shoulders. Since the median nerve comes from the cervical spine, and runs down the arm, tight muscles in the neck and shoulder can also impinge upon the nerve.