No Place for ILLNESS……

The Chinese Classic, Nei Jung, says if the body, mind and spirit are one there is no place for illness….

That says it all… it’s all about balance. There are many ways to attain balance in one’s life and it’s different for each of us. Some fish; some dance; some whittle….it depends on the person. Of course taking good care of yourself is paramount; good sleep, lots of water, exercise, wholesome foods and de-stressing…the last one is usually easier said than done.

Acupuncture is a great way to handle the way your body deals with stress. It’s all about the body’s energy and getting/keeping it balanced so that it can resume self-healing as it was meant to.

Stress is a factor in most people’s lives and often so long standing and builds gradually that it just seems like normal life.  Emotional stress is the most obvious form, but there are many other forms; too much heat or cold, too much spicy food/alcohol, too much food for the digestive system, lack of sleep, and the list goes on….once again BALANCE!!

Acupuncture encourages the body to re-balance it’s energy through the encouragement of the Acupuncturist’s skills….finding the “root” cause of an issue and using Acupuncture points to resolve the issue.  The point prescription will handle the areas of imbalance in the energy system and promote optimum well being.  Your most stressful day will soon become a breeze….the stressors won’t disappear, but you’ll respond differently to the stress and just let it role off……

Balancing your energy will improve all areas of  your life and maintaining the balance will prevent other adverse conditions from developing in the future!!

A Votre Sante!

Allergies, Anyone???

Allergies, anyone??? Runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, post nasal drip and the list goes on….Ideally, we would have started treating these symptoms a month before they surfaced. This year’s weather made predicting the arrival of “Spring” allergy symptoms almost impossible, but now we’re here with full on misery.

Chinese Medicine is very effective in treating and often preventing your symptoms from occurring. I have three “magical” herbal formulas that dry me right up within an hour!! Regular Acupuncture treatments coupled with Chinese herbs are a powerful combination that will allow you to enjoy the beautiful Spring weather!!

If you are not a fan of needles and can’t remember to take your herbs, here a few things you can do to help:

1.Take your shower before bed-allergens are in your hair and on your skin. You will breathe in pollen all night long if you shower in the morning!

2.Abstain from refined sugar, dairy and wheat until symptoms pass as these all produce mucus in the body adding to your discomfort!

3. Rinse your sinuses via Netti Pot or in the shower to remove allergens.

4. Drink plenty of water to loosen secretions.

These practices will help you through allergy season and perhaps you will consider Acupuncture or Chinese herbs to alleviate your symptoms in the future!!

A Votre Sante!!

What Does Acupuncture Treat?

When people think of Acupuncture, they often think “it’s good for pain, but I don’t have any.” True, acupuncture is very effective for pain, but also a plethora of other conditions and ailments, chronic and acute.

Each internal organ has a biological function, as well as a number of other functions as defined by ancient Chinese scholars.  For instance, the liver organ is known to detoxify the blood, while the liver system in addition controls the eyes, nails, tendons and sinews and the gambit of emotions we experience.  So if you are experiencing dry eyes, for instance, a treatment to balance the liver system would most likely resolve this issue.  If you have decreased appetite or suffer from seasonal allergies, the spleen system may need a tune-up.   Edema or swelling would point to the kidney system and so on.

An acupuncturist diagnoses a condition by the symptoms presented, feeling the pulses and looking at the shape and color of the tongue.  This data helps determine the root cause of the problem so that a treatment plan can be developed and implemented to allow the body to heal itself.

Patients will often choose regular treatments to maintain balance and support the immune system to prevent adverse conditions from developing.  Quarterly treatments are also a great way to prevent the symptoms that often develop with each season.  Treatments about a month before a season can prevent allergies, common colds, heat rashes, asthma and many others.

If you haven’t tried acupuncture, now is the perfect time to explore its many benefits to enhance your health and well being!

A votre sante!

Brenda Terry, MAcOM, LAc