Acupuncture Blog

When you go to your Western medical practitioner, they usually ask you about your pharmaceutical medications. They want to know what you are taking and how they are interacting in your body. They are trained to manage these so that their patients can live full, healthy lives. Many doctors have begun to ask what herbal prescriptions and/or supplements you may also be taking but bottom line, that isn’t what they were formally trained to manage.
Licensed herbalists can help you manage your herbal supplements because this is what we have been formally trained to do!
I personally have continued my herbal education with a focus on herb-drug interaction, thanks to the fantastic knowledge and education imparted from Dr. John Chen, pharmacist, herbalist, and owner of Evergreen Herbs and the Lotus Institute in California. I have only begun my education in this area but have learned key aspects regarding the body’s metabolic processes of medications, when to take volitile pharmaceuticals and herbal formulas without absorption interference in the cells, and how to prevent and recognize herb-drug adverse reactions. I have had several clients of mine recently mix Western pharmaceuticals and herbal supplements, suffering from minimal to severe side effects. This can be prevented by making me (or a licensed herbalist with continued education in herb-drug interactions) your Go-To source for your herbal medicine management. Always find a licensed herbalist who is willing to work with your Western medical practitioners for a comprehensive approach to your health. I look forward to working with you in the near future!

As relationships form, relationships fall apart. Ahhhhhh, such is life and nature.

“The only thing constant in change…”

So how do some people keep their relationships healthy through all the years? Not just being in a relationship because its comfortable or because that is what is expected in their environmental culture, but really be present and nourished by their relationships with their significant other? I have been hearing from clients and friends about their significant others’ not fulfilling their needs on one level or another. And it spurred me on to discussing this concept with my husband during a long trip to New Hampshire. But before I go there, let me first talk about the ‘weeds’.

You see, in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, it is oftentimes the botanical weeds that are the most effective at releasing heat, moving stagnation in our bodies/digestive systems/minds, removing toxicity. We as herbalists like to utilize the powerful properties of our ‘weeds’ such as dandelion root and nettle while the rest of the world tries to eradicate them from the Earth and their gardens. It is the plants that serve us the best that we oftentimes avoid or try to remove from our lives.

So now, to return to my conversation with my husband. We discussed, we lamented, we chuckled, and we had compassion for all the relationships we had come in contact with throughout our life together. And from there, I created the 3 most important aspects every relationship should have:

1. Your best friend: yes, your significant other should be your best friend. Now there is a caviat here: girlfriends are key for the topics of which guys can not handle discussing/listening to, etc.

2. Trust/honesty: if you can not trust and/or be honest your significant other/yourself, then what do you have? This is what I am trying to teach my 5 year old son and it is questionable if he is grasping the concept yet. Funny, there are some 35 year olds who still haven’t.

3. Communication: uh huh. Bottom line….if you aren’t talking, someone is walking. Hindsight being 20/20, I never knew that the many hours after midnight my husband and I would spend outside on the porch of his old apartment in Oak Square after he got out of work, smoking and drinking wine, would be the foundation of the relationship we have today. *note: talk about toxicity from the smoking, eh? laughing to self….I’ll just use the dandelion root and others…*. But no seriously, talking to your best friend isn’t always easy but it should be essential and enjoyable.

And if a relationship doesn’t have these 3 qualities, usually there will be issues. Perhaps growing weeds instead of perfect flowers. Everyone wants the perfect life, the perfect relationship, like the ones portrayed on FaceBook, etc. I have seen perfect specimens of the nettle plant as well as the dandelions that seem to take my lawn over by storm each year. But I have yet to see a perfect relationship specimen. In fact, there have been a few people who questioned my relationship with my husband yet, I can confidently say that I am sitting next to my best friend right now.

So what are your ‘weeds’ and how can you change your perspective of them in order to water them (and your relationship) to fruition?….

Snow: it’s all about your perspective of it. You can curse it as it makes your commute a nightmare or you can watch it fall gracefully in the streetlights. Either way, it means those of you who suffer from chronic low back pain or tennis elbow are going to need some attention! Acupuncture and massage can proactively help you stave off the impending days/nights…weeks of heat packs and Advil! Massage can loosen the muscles while Acupuncture can treat the root of the problem so it doesn’t become a seasonal issue!

Happy Chinese New Year….Gung Hay Fat Choi! “Dragon years are expected to be full of benevolence and grace, especially a Water Dragon Year. A warning in the Year of the Dragon is to manage energy wisely, so you don’t get exhausted. This may be hard to do in a year of abundant good energy, because it may seem unlimited.” Volatility is in the air so be ready for a big year!

*Winter Special*: the practitioners at the MWC are offering our current clients the chance to experience other forms of bodywork available at the Center! $20.00 OFF your 1st session with another member of the MWC team! See your current practitioner for more info or call to become a client!

So what do the NE Patriots and Acupuncture have in common: 1. Many of the players receive acupuncture to improve their sportsmanship and manage their injuries; 2. Beating the Patriots this weekend will be like trying to find a ‘needle’ in a haystack!; 3. Just like Vegas has their betting lines, Acupuncture has their own lines also known as meridians! Therefore, if your body is your home, then as the Under Armour ad says, “We will protect this house!”