Recently, physical therapists (PTs) have added acupuncture to their repertoire in order to help treat musculoskeletal problems. PTs call their style of acupuncture “dry needling” and the law allows them to use it to release “trigger points”. A few PTs will use this acupuncture technique for other reasons, but they are operating illegally, outside their […]
Dizziness is a very disturbing, but extremely common problem. Officially termed vertigo, it is distinguished from being light headed and syncope, by a feeling that the room is spinning and a loss of balance. Frequently, vertigo is accompanied by: nausea, vomiting, nystagmus (eyes ticking back and forth), and an inability to walk or even move […]
This year, I completed training in Jiao’s Scalp Acupuncture, a modern acupuncture technique that capitalizes on the neuroanatomy of the brain. Discovered fairly recently for an acupuncture method – about 60 yrs ago – it combines traditional needle techniques with our growing body of knowledge of the cerebral cortex. This powerful method has been reported to […]
In my last article on menopause, I wrote how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views this life transition through its cultural and societal lenses. Now we will look at how TCM treats menopause on a physical and psychological level. Since TCM views menopause as a natural life, event as opposed to a medical problem, it tends […]
It is said in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that a women’s menstrual cycle is the bell weather of her health. A normal cycle is indicative of metabolic and hormonal balance. The average menstrual cycle is between 24 – 30 days in its entirety, with 4-7 of those days for menstruation. In this article, abnormal menstrual cycles […]
Depression is a sometimes hidden, but very common mood disorder. It is estimated that 16 million Americans suffer with chronic depression. Depression casts a dark cloud over all aspects of living, robbing a person of experiencing daily joy. It can impact all aspects of life including relationships to self and others. Similar to anxiety, most […]
Anxiety is a mood disorder that plagues a great many people in the U.S. It is estimated that as much as 18% of the population have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder and that there is additional 10-15% who might be undiagnosed. Like stress or blue moods, all of us are likely to experience some anxiety […]
There are multiple adjunctive treatments of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that an acupuncturist might utilize. The most well known modalities used alongside acupuncture would be massage, moxabustion, cupping, and gua sha. Gua sha, which translates to “red marks”, in Chinese is a highly descriptive name. Typically it is performed with a specific tool made for […]
Back and neck pain is one of the top reasons that people seek treatment from healthcare providers. This makes sense because according to numerous studies, nearly everyone (80% of the total population) will have a bout of back or neck pain at some time in their life bad enough to cause them to seek help. […]
As stated in my last article on insomnia, it is a major problem in the U.S., affecting over 60 million people. Here is some more recent information that has come to light. Chronic insomnia due to sleep disorders is more prevalent in working women ages 20 – 60 (27%) then men (20%) and is worse for those […]