There’s an old metaphor about a frog in boiling water. If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, he will immediately jump out because of the sudden, drastic change in temperature. If, however, you put a frog in a pot of tepid water and slowly bring it to a boil, the temperature change will be so subtle that the frog will never know what hit him as he boils to death.
People are very similar to the frog when it comes to identifying underlying health problems and seeking help. Based on the perceived severity of the problem, you are either driven to action, or more prone to let the problem continue as a mere annoyance.
Those who have suffered a major trauma such as an auto accident, work injury, or slip and fall are like a frog dropped in boiling water. Because they have undergone such sudden and massive physical change they seek immediate action in correcting the damage done and look to professional help without delay. Bear in mind that these are the same people who would normally overlook more minor aches and pains without a second thought.
Why does one act so quickly in a situation like this? The injury happens so suddenly and swings them so far from their comfort zone that they will do whatever it takes to bring things back to normalcy as quickly as possible. After all, a knock in your engine is something that you would typically let go for awhile, but a sudden cloud of smoke billowing from under the hood would likely spur you to immediate action.
The majority of people, however, are like a frog in tepid water, on a slow simmer until eventually being brought to a boil. Most imbalances develop over time, and because they are often very subtle, and many times painless, the danger of their impact on our bodies goes unnoticed.
Over time, however, these imbalances are no less devastating to us than boiling water is to the frog. A slow drip in your attic might not seem like a big deal, but its cumulative effects can eventually send your ceiling crashing down.
Until we get into the habit of being proactive when it comes to our health, these “simmering” imbalances will always be a threat. Neutralizing that threat requires that we shift our thinking away from pain-based, symptom-relief care and more toward a system built around prevention and wellness.
If you know someone who has not been examined for imbalances yet, regardless of whether or not they are exhibiting any symptoms, send them in for a acupuncture evaluation. Let’s get them the help they need before their pot comes to a boil!
Acupuncture Information and Research
Acupuncture and The Season of Spring
The Season of Spring
Seasonal changes in climate have a significant effect on the physiological functions and pathological changes of the body. In the Spring, as the weather turns warmer and everything is growing, the Liver becomes very active in its function of dispelling and dispersing.
The Liver also corresponds with the wind, the birth of gardens and beings, the emotion of anger/frustration, the eyes and our vision, as well as the nails, tendons, ligaments, and tissues in our body. Oftentimes, people may suffer from seasonal allergies, increased frustration around simple situations, and new tendon/tissue injuries due to the transition between the winter (season of the Kidney) and the spring (season of the Liver) not being a smooth one.
So as one may presume, our diets should reinforce the Liver and its dispersing qualities. Eating foods grown/created in the spring season such as leafy vegetables and citrus fruits is best while continuing to avoid/minimize extremely cold food and dairy products. Drinking plenty of water to keep hydrated and do simple cleanses to “spring clean”/prepare your body for the season. Try introducing these following foods/seasonings to your meals to help the Liver help your body dispel the winter and disperse your energy in a balanced way:
Basil Radish
Carrots Turmeric
Cloves Cardamom
Garlic Chive
Orange Peel Dill Seed
Tangerine Peel Mustard leaf
Caraway Star Anise
Cayenne Coriander
Acupuncture: A House Divided…
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” –Abraham Lincoln
Pain killer…Check. Anti-inflammatory…Check. Anti-anxiety…Check. Antidepressant…Check.
And that’s just breakfast!
For many, starting the day by downing a handful of pills has become the norm, a natural accompaniment to their eggs and toast.
You take pills because you are taught to, and that’s what most people are accustomed to. Because somehow the drugs are supposed to wipe the slate clean and zero out your not so healthy lifestyle choices. Inherently you know that the drugs are not the best thing for you, but you figure that you can settle for good enough if the pills can help you just get by.
There is a reason that every drug or pill that you are prescribed comes with a list of side effects and warnings. Continually putting foreign/toxic substances into your body over the long run often creates more illness than health.
The reality is that the body is designed to heal from the inside out and express life through an inborn intelligent energy, and it is only when this energy is impeded that the body begins to break down.
Drugging an imbalanced body does nothing to bring it back into balance, and in fact while on the surface it may appear that the drugs are serving a positive purpose, underneath, the body is thrown farther into a state of stress and dis-ease. In effect, you have created a house divided.
The natural, recuperative power of the body is now pitted against the drug’s toxic effects. Even when drugs are designed as closely as possible to work in harmony with the human body, it simply is not feasible to introduce chemicals into the body without also inducing stress.
The key to producing a lifetime of health and wellness is to develop a unified front; to unleash the full power of the body’s meridian systems and then to nurture it through exercise, good nutrition, adequate rest, and a positive mental outlook.
Acupuncture works in unison with the body and serves to optimize your innate healing potential. It is the natural choice to replenish and maintain optimal health!
Acupuncture: 24 Hours To A Better Life
24 hours. One day.
What if you only got one? What would you do with it? Who would you see? How would you act? Where would you go?
Fortunately most of us get more than one day to live out our lives. But for too many of us there seems to be something wrong with every single day we are given. It’s too long. It’s too short. It’s cold. It’s rainy. It’s boring. It’s too busy.
If it were your last day, do you think you would give things like the weather a second thought? If you had just one day to live, your focus would undoubtedly shift from complaining and complacency to productivity, love, and thankfulness.
Well, the truth of the matter is that every day is of equal value. Today is no less important than your last day. Each day is a brand new start and we are all given the same 24 hours to make of them what we will.
All of this may sound a little too cliché, but consider that billionaire powerhouses like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett are given the same 24 hours every day that you are. They are afforded no more time and no less time. The difference comes in how they choose to utilize their hours. And if you think they just somehow happened to arrive at their success by chance or privilege, read up on their life histories and you’ll find that this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Now your goal might not be to become a billionaire, but most people are longing for something more out of life, but are either waiting around for it to come to them, or just don’t know how to go about getting it.
The good news is that it doesn’t take a genius to create an extraordinary life; just persistent focused action on a daily basis.
Maybe you would love to write a best-seller, but are intimidated by the whole process. If you got to work and wrote just one page a day, in a year’s time you will have completed a 365 page book! Even if it took you 2 days per page, you would still have a substantial 180 pages.
Advancing your life simply requires that you prioritize and change your focus. Evaluate your typical day and find those “lost moments” or “voids” in which nothing meaningful seems to take place, and then plan the night before how you are going to better utilize that time. Listen to educational programs during your commute. Instead of surfing the web, study your field of business. Turn the TV off in favor of some quality family time.
You may not be destined to change the world, but by focusing 24 hours at a time it is easily within your power to change your life!
Acupuncture: Are You Stuck In First Gear?
Imagine you are driving down the road with your gas pedal to the floor. Your car runs great and gets you to where you need to be. All is good.
But then you look around and notice that everyone else is whizzing right by you.
Determined to keep up with those around you, you take your car into the shop and have the mechanic give it a good once-over.
The mechanic finds that while you have been getting to where you need to be, you have been doing so while driving in only one gear. In actuality, he discovers that your car has an entire set of gears that have never even been utilized!
Many people live out their lives the same way; stuck in first gear and never living up to their full potential; not quite hurting, but definitely not at their best. The problem is that while most people realize that they simply are not living up to par, they don’t know how to access their hidden gearbox to take their health to the next level.
These are the people that need to be under acupuncture care!
The old misconception that acupuncture care is just for those in pain or battling symptoms is quickly being exposed for the fallacy that it is.
Those who get the most out of their acupuncture treatments are the ones who take their care beyond the relief phase and work with their acupuncturist to maintain lifelong health and wellness.
The true essence of acupuncture actually has nothing to do with the treatment of pain and symptoms. Acupuncture treatments remove meridian system blockages by detecting and correcting imbalances in the meridian system. Symptoms are relieved as a byproduct of building a healthier body.
A blockage within the meridian system, ones that are continually out of balance, will never allow the body to run at maximum speed and efficiency. The blockage and imbalance in effect acts as a governor on your body’s engine, limiting it to a certain speed that it can’t rise above.
You are not designed to sputter through life in first gear. You are created to live all out at full throttle. Settle for any less and you not only short-change yourself, but also those who depend upon you.
Your meridian system is housing a whole new set of gears that most of us never even tap into. By unleashing the full scope of your body’s innate potential, acupuncture can help you take your health and your life to unparalleled heights.
Are You Living Or Just Alive?
Life is described as many things by different people, but one thing it can never be defined as is stagnant.
Life is always changing, evolving, increasing, or decreasing in capacity. It is in a constant state of flux.
While you are sitting there seemingly doing nothing, your body is always on the job building and repairing tissue, creating new cells, growing hair and nails, digesting food, etc.
The degree to which your body is able to do these things depends primarily upon the health and vibrancy of your meridian system. There are certainly other factors that come into play such as proper nutrition, level of exercise and adequate rest, but even their potency is diminished when shackled by a weakened supply of energy flowing through the meridian system.
Life is supported by the meridian system and emanates outward into all of your cells, muscles, nerves, organs and tissues. All other variables being equal, the body is at its healthiest when there is a steady and free flow of energy within the meridian system.
When the meridian system is blocked, or out of balance, your quality of life diminishes. Think of it as a hose that is pinched and not able to supply the adequate amount of water to a growing plant. Eventually the plant will die from lack of water.
It is not necessarily safe to assume that you are at your healthiest, or to put it another way, at your most alive, simply because you are living, breathing, and exhibiting no obvious pain or symptoms.
While your level of health may seem completely stable on the outside, in actuality it can be fluctuating under the surface. A cavity quickly becomes a very painful toothache when the nerve is exposed, but the process leading up that point can take months, or even years. Nobody would argue that all the while the tooth was unhealthy under the surface even in the absence of symptoms.
To ensure that your body remains at its healthiest, it is essential to maintain a balanced, optimally functioning meridian system and to continually supply your body with the power that it needs to thrive. To merely be symptom-free is not enough.
While many people associate acupuncture with pain relief, the true essence of an acupuncture treatment is to support the normal and balanced flow of energy within the body.
Acupuncture, Headaches, and Your Diet
To all you headache sufferers, you do have some control and it starts with your diet! Read on!
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/eat-to-avoid-pain
Clearing the Clutter in the New Year
As I look around my house after the holidays, it seems like every corner has clutter. My piles of things to do, the kids’ toys and activities, my husband’s piles…just piles. It seems like it is neverending at times too. And most of it is ‘stuff’ we don’t use on an everyday basis, clutter in our lives that serves no purpose but to divert our attention from our true goals/efforts. So as I was busy preparing a donation pick-up for the Vietnam Veterans of America, I started looking at the clutter differently. If I hadn’t used it in the past 3-6 months, it goes in the bags for the VVA. The same went with my children’s items also. As for my husband’s piles, well, let’s just say I’ve learned over the years to just not touch them as he does not touch mine.
Clutter is something that occurs in our bodies over time also. From unhealthy diet choices to unwise physical decisions to negative thoughts/ideas, we clutter our body’s fine-tuned machinery with ‘stuff’ we don’t need to use on a daily basis. This ‘stuff’ keep us from being the best person we can be and the most efficient working man/woman/business owner.
Acupuncture can assist in clearing the clutter so your ‘fine-tuned’ instrument of a body can have the best 2014 yet! Put your health and acupuncture on your list of ‘to do’s’, make it a goal for 2014, and see that you don’t need the clutter in your life!
Pediatric Acupuncture for ADD/ADHD
Great article on the effective use of acupuncture and other complementary treatments for the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. These treatments can be found at the Marlborough Wellness Center under the experience of Julie Dalbec, MAOM, Lic.Ac.
http://www.ny1.com/content/lifestyles/wellness_report/198703/parents-of-children-with-adhd-turn-to-acupuncture-and-other-methods-for-help/?utm_source=November+2013+Newsletter&utm_campaign=November+2013+Newsletter&utm_medium=email
Acupuncture: Don't Be Late to Good Health
If today is National “Be Late to Something” Day and you are experiencing headaches, indigestion, physical pain, sleep disturbances, or general ‘not-feeling-on-top-of-my-game
Acupuncture and the End of Life Process
As I sit every Monday, treating my husband’s grandfather, Pepere, at the end of his life, I have come to realize the vital role acupuncture can play at the end of someone’s life. It is poignant to recognize that Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupucture see the body and the spirit connected and that one wthout the other can not occur. Yin and yang must live within each other, fading in and out of each other, feeding each other in order for the balance to occur. At the end of our lives, that precious balance becomes more unsteady, with yin or yang becoming weaker or stronger. At the last hours of our lives, yin and yang will separate. This is when the spirit will leave the physical body for there is nothing left to anchor it down. The spirit will go to the next place/person and the cycle will start anew. I remember a teacher of mine once say, “If you want to treat children and truly understand them, you must work with the hospice population and help those spirits move onto the next place.”
So, when I did some research on acupuncture points to do for Pepere, I asked many collegues and found many websites. Made my notes and went with peace of mind to his house, knowing that the bottom line was that the best points to use were going to be determined by him. I knew I needed to nurture the emotions, calm any anxiety that might be present, relieve depression, and balance grief. I also knew he had frequently been telling us that his friends in heaven kept coming for him but that when he went to go pick up his bags, they were gone. Clearly, it wasn’t his time to go yet. Now, they come minus one…his wife. He knows that when she comes for him, it will be time.
It is the role of the Lungs and the Liver to help those at the end of their life find resolution with unfinished business, rectify the Qi, forgive themselves and others, letting go of this life in order to move onto the new life. Thus, focusing on those two organ systems are key but here are a few other points to consider:
BL 60 is good for movements that are painful, inability to walk, fullness in the chest.
LU 3 has been the best point to help him ‘talk to others in another realm’. This one calmed his anxiety when they would come but leave.
LU8/KD7 combined is good for treating the chronic Kidney deficiency with Lung congestion.
ST 36 is good for weakness and emaciation that occur with aging.
GV 20 is great for connecting the spirit with the heavenly Qi/Universe while also helping to support anything sinking.
I find solace in knowing that although the end of life process may occur in a short or long period of time, that Pepere is receiving the care that he needs and acupuncture is playing a vital role in that process. One day, he whispered into my ear, “I am sad to have to go and leave you guys but I am looking forward to seeing my wife and friends again soon…”
If you ever get the opportunity to work with hospice patients at the end of life, you will forever be changed…for the better.
Acupuncture in Marlborough: for anything and everything!
Acupuncture + Meditation = Great Health
As I find myself getting back to basics and quieting my mind, I have realized it is amazing for my health and my physical/mental capabilities. Please consider the “21 Day Meditation Challenge” (starting August 5th) if you don’t already have a daily meditation practice. You will see how easy it is to incorporate into your every day and all the fantastic benefits!
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130718224205-75054000-5-ways-meditation-can-make-you-happier?trk=prof-post
Acupuncture and Herbs for Summerheat and Humidity
If you are one of the many who seem intolerant of the heat and/or the humidity, that seem to almost feel worse in the summer, may feel heavy or insist on being where it is cooler thus missing out on quality outside time with family and friends, then there is an answer for you!
Acupuncture and herbs can help! So let’s talk about the acupuncture first.
Incorporating treatments into your weekly routine can help find the balance in your system. According to Traditional Chinese Medical theory, the season of Summer corresponds to the Heart and the element of fire. It also has a correspondence with the Spleen system when it comes to intolerance of humidity due to the Spleen’s role in transforming our food/drink into pure qi. If the Spleen is not doing it’s job (due to an imbalance caused by different possibilities), then it is not able to fully transform the food/drink into pure qi and only manages to create dampness. This can be compounded further as the dampness sits, it becomes phlegm and can cause other issues that we will further discuss at a later date. If dampness is present, one may notice weight gain around the mid-section of their body, a “four-limb heaviness” sensation where it feels as if to move the body is more effort than it should be, indigestion, loose and possibly discolored stools, skin rashes/acne, and cravings for dairy-based and sweet foods. Spleen 9 and Stomach 40 are key points to drain damp and eliminate phlegm. Stomach 25, CV 10, and CV 12 are fantastic points to boost the Spleen and digestion while regulating the bowels. These are best needled by a licensed acupuncturist and then can become a part of a home acupressure program to continue progress.
As for herbs and one’s diet, simply decreasing dairy intake (1 serving a day), cutting down on processed sugary foods (1 serving a day), and adding cooling foods such as cucumber, plums, lemon, scallions, celery, garlic, onions, turnip, radish, kohl rabi (do a Google search for a recipe titled “Rock Salad” for a great salad that even kids will love!) will help! There are herbal formulas that can address summerheat and dampness but please consult a licensed herbalist before taking anything over the counter. And drinking 2-3 cups of Barley tea (decaffeinated and can be brewed/enjoyed cold) a day will also help curb the intolerance for heat and humidity. Little factoid: chicken is warm in nature and when you grill it, you now are going to ingest something very hot….couple your grilled dinner with a cool salad or some of the suggestions above to find the temperature balance your Spleen and digestive system craves for optimum functioning. Once your Spleen system is working well, one may find weight is easier to lose when partnered with exercise!
Move and eat with the season and you can never go wrong! If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to email me/comment here and Enjoy your summer!
Chinese Lunar New Year–A Second Chance to get your New Year's Resolutions Right
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"Yes Virginia, there is non-insertive acupuncture!"
If you happen to be one of the many people who are needle phobic or the mere idea of having multiple needles placed all over your body makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, then non-insertive acupuncture may be the answer for you. You have read the articles supporting the use of acupuncture for pain management as well as for hormone regulation, headaches, digestive issues, stress relief, allergies….the list goes on and on. But were afraid to try it for fear it would hurt. Have no fear, non-insertive acupuncture is here!
Contrary to popular belief, it is not just acupressure, although that can be a very powerful part of the overall program.
It can be TuiNa, a chinese style massage that opens and invigorates the meridian systems an dstimualtes the functions of the acupuncture points. This adjunctive technique is very popular with parents of children with special needs receiving acupuncture. It enables the parent to feel empowered and to be able to lay their hands in a healthy, healing way upon their children to help them with their challenges.
Shonishin, a Japanese style acupuncture that utilizes different shaped tools that brush/scrape/press upon the skin, can be just as effective as the use of needles when done correctly and by a trained practitioner in this style. The most challenging part of this approach is some say it ‘tickles’!
Different oils and tinctures can be used at different places and points on the body to elicit responses that alleviate health issues also.
So please feel free to call the Marlborough Wellness Center, ask to speak with Julie Dalbec, and make your appointment for non-insertive acupuncture today.
Good health through Acupuncture: it’s not just a luxury, it’s a necessity!
"Katie's Take" show and Acupuncture!
Please take a moment and watch the most recent “Katie’s Take” show on acupuncture. The guest speaker is a very knowledgeable and well-spoken acupuncturist! If you have any questions or are interested in making an appointment, please call the Marlborough Wellness Center today!
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/katies-take-abc-news/point-acupuncture-193618219.html#more-id
Happy Chinese New Year 2012: Year of the Dragon
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!
NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Acupuncture
Acupuncture is big on the Steelers.
One night last week, I was with an NBC crew in Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison‘s home north of Pittsburgh. He was talking about staying in one piece during the physical NFL season, and he said he owed a lot to acupuncture.
Specifically, 314 needles per session, twice a week. That’s how many he has stuck into his body, from his head to his feet … and they’re not pin-pricks either. “They’re put in there pretty far,” Harrison said. His story, and the story of other players in the NFL gutting out the season, will be told by Andrea Kremer on our NBC Super Bowl pregame show Sunday, between 1 and 6 p.m. ET.
Harrison said acupuncture has made a dramatic difference in his ability to play the game at a high level. He usually takes the 314 needles on Tuesday and Thursday nights and doesn’t feel the full result ’til two days after the sessions. “What it does is get me back to feeling as close as I can to how I felt at the beginning of the season, before I take the normal punishment of a season,” he said. He gets the treatment at his home, and several other Steelers show up to get poked along with him.
I know the research Kremer has done for this story, and I strongly recommend you tuning in Sunday to see it. If I find out approximately when it will air, I’ll let you know later this week on SI.com.
Taken from SportsIllustrated.com….
Martha Stewart and Acupuncture
So when one of my clients mentioned to me that Martha Stewart had received acupuncture on her show and it was a positive exhibition, I like to forward them on to my readers! Oprah also received acupuncture on her show but couldn’t handle more than 2-3 needles without getting squirmish! I guess her ear piercing experience traumatized her to needles! Check out the address listed below and believe what you may…
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/acupuncture-treatment
Infertility and Acupuncture
As my experience is increasing in the area of infertility as an acupuncturist, I found this article to be very positive! Please take a moment to read the article!
Infertility and Acupuncture:
http://tinyurl.com/acupuncture-infertility