Chinese Herbal Medicine Information and Research

Acupuncture Goes Mainstream So, Watch OUT!

October 20, 2016 by MWC Staff

With my alma mater, New England School of Acupuncture, being acquired by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences based in Worcester, acupuncture is going mainstream so, watch OUT! it means that more people are asking for and positively experiencing acupuncture for ailments that Western Medicine may not have answers for as of yet. And yes, I have also seen an increased number of referrals from medical doctors in the past few years which gives me hope that complementary therapies like acupuncture and Western medical practitioners will make a great team in our near future!

It is an honor to be an acupuncturist and I love going to work everyday, affecting people’s lives in ways I could never have imagined! Just today, I had a client say she had no overtaken a bout of pneumonia with her acupuncture experience and two clients with chronic shoulder pain that reported they were on the mend and attributed it to their treatments! Not to mention the amazing effect acupuncture and Chinese Medicine has had on my pediatric patient with ADHD and OCD. He told me he can think straight for the first time in a long time!

So please, if you are considering acupuncture for your chronic or acute pain, medical issues, or for general wellness, I strongly suggest you try it! And of course, call your insurance company to find out if your plan covers acupuncture in some way! We welcome you to our clinic and to the unlimited world of acupuncture that can help you live the life you want and can live!!

WBJ article on Acupuncture Going Mainstream

Acupuncture and The End of Life

September 29, 2016 by MWC Staff

August 12th, 2016…a date I don’t think I’ll forget. My dad’s passing in the next phase.

It was a peaceful as it could be, his children holding his hands as he took his last breath, my brother telling him to keep an eye out for us and his grandchildren in heaven. He spent his last days with his family, lunch dates with his granddaughters, watching his grandchildren create apples out of Legos and catch frogs in the reeds, sharing family dinners at the table together laughing, watching the sun rise and set over the water…it was the best one could ask for at the end of their life.

One thing that I know helped him as his years waned was acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. I was able to help him manage his diabetes and sugars by maintaining a healthy appetite, all the while calming his spirit and assisting him to restful sleep at night. We managed his pain while boosting his energy so he could do the activities he loved. Going to/watching the car races, working in his tinsmith shop, doing his historical re-enactments. And in the end, I knew that his belief in the effectiveness of acupuncture and herbs added time to his timeline.

So here’s to you, Dad…and all of you who are wondering if there are non-invasive options at the end of your life to find comfort and health, the answer is yes! Acupuncture and herbal medicine, when performed by a licensed practitioner, can be helpful in more ways than one!

Acupuncture, Cupping, and the US Olympic Athletes

August 11, 2016 by MWC Staff

I love the Olympics! Every four years, I get to watch the world come together and compete in sporting events I am familiar with and some I didn’t even know existed. The spirit of competition is alive and exhilarating to watch! And then to see the bruised circles from cupping on the USA male gymnasts and swimmers had me jumping for joy!

You see, as an acupuncturist-herbalist, part of our extensive training included adjunctive techniques such as cupping. Cupping is an ancient practice stemming from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and was used to draw out pathological factors from the body that would cause stagnation and manifest as painful conditions. Joint pain, muscle tightness, coughing, asthma…stagnated energy can cause a multitude of misery! The cup is placed on the body either by fire to create the suction (fire cupping) or by a suction device. Glass is the best for cups as they can be cleaned sufficiently to not spread infection. Once placed on the body and affixed by suction, one watches for the redness to appear. In TCM, it is referred to as ‘sha’ but in Western Medicine, it is referred to as bruising. The act of the suction pulling the skin away from the tissues underneath helps release the myofascial system and can increase blood flow/circulation to the area to help with pain, fatigue, and/or injured muscle tissue. Cupping can be done multiple times and has proven to be very efficient at relieving physical discomfort and tightness.

Interestingly enough though, there are many people who think it is “snake oil” medicine, “unsupported treatments that do nothing” as I read online this week. Being someone who has trained and practiced in both Western Medicine and Chinese Medicine, my approach to these viewpoints is ‘you never know unless you try it’! I have found many a doctor who has tried complementary therapies and adjunctive techniques and are some of my biggest referral sources. Sometimes one medicine may not have the answers and the other might. Cupping and TCM have been around for more than 2000 years so something must be working. So if you are hesitant to try acupuncture or cupping, I recommend you “try it, you might like it”!

Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Comfort Zones and Bruising

July 28, 2016 by MWC Staff

Stepping out of our comfort zone can be scary sometimes. I talk about acupuncture and herbal medicine being out of a lot of people’s comfort zones but as many know, when you are out of your comfort zone, amazing things can happen!

Last Sunday, I decided to join my husband mountain biking. Now, a little background story…he fell in love with mountain biking when he took a ride class through Marlborough Moves, led by the leader of the BLG (aka “Bloody Leg Gang”), a local mountain biking group full of biking enthusiasts. Even since then, he’s been trying to get me out with him but the bike available for my use just isn’t all that great and I really wasn’t interested. Forwarding through time, I received the opportunity to borrow a very nice bike with dual suspension and a up/down pneumatic seat. How could I say no now? Ok….stepping forward…out of my comfort zone I go!

We arrive at Vietnam, a set of trails in Holliston, and I get on the borrowed bike, trying to figure out the controls and get my bearings in the parking lot before we get on the trails. I thought to myself, “Ok, you can do this…man, this bike is incredible!” Before I knew it, we were riding through rock gardens, across bridges (yeah, I had to retry the entry to my first bridge but I did make it across), and approaching a pretty steep decline. The leader went first, followed by a brave woman and her dog, then my husband went. I watched them go, tried to see what lines they picked, how they turned, etc. so I could follow suit as gracefully as they went. I started on the decline but my front tire hit a rock just right and my left hand clamped down hard on the brake (NOTE: the left hand brake controls the front tire brake so you can kind of see where this is going…). I went over the handlebars and tucked my head (yes, of course I had a helmet on!). Taking the bike along for the ride, I landed on my back with the bike on top of me! After watching my epic fall, my husband came running back to me as I asked him, “Can you just get the bike because I’m fine.” As he removed the bike from the mangled mess that was my body and I went to stand up, I rolled down the rest of the hill. So very graceful, I know. I examined the borrowed bike to make sure I hadn’t broken anything before I examined myself…the bike was good. Whew! Now as for my body, not so much! I had officially been initiated into the “Bloody Leg Gang” as my knee was dripping. We kept riding for another hour and a half, only to ride up the same hill I had fallen down on earlier. I told the group I felt like I needed to try the down hill again, to rectify the mistake I had made earlier. The group went and I followed nervously, nailing the hill and feeling so great! Yes, I told my husband, I’ll be biking again soon!

As the day went on, I started feeling the effects of my fall more and more. I knew my knee and leg were going to bruise nicely and they certainly did. I immediately started applying my Super Life Healing Salve to the injured areas and the pain subsided slowly due in part to the essential oil blend I created to decrease inflammation and pain. Even better, the arnica oil in the salve helped control the pain but also melted the bruising away! Today, although my leg still shows a nice “black and blue”, it’s fading each day to a more yellow color and healing nicely.

Why I told this story is two-fold. 1. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be fun and uncomfortable at times but to remember that the only thing constant is change and that that is how we can fully enjoy this amazing life we are living. 2. Acupuncture and herbal medicine is not to be feared but to be embraced and seen as a healing opportunity! So if you are one of the few who have been hesitant to trying acupuncture or herbal medicine, please remember my story and step out of your comfort zone!

Acupuncture and Kids’ “Calm Amidst The Chaos”

July 21, 2016 by MWC Staff

In the middle of the July 4th chaos in North Conway, NH, six children found an opportunity to “get zen” and meditate. It stopped a few people and of course, the picture had to be taken. Now, if you knew these children, they are all active and full of personality! When I saw this picture, not only did I see a great opportunity to chuckle to myself but I also saw how a few of them really looked calm.

I know in this crazy world of negativity and violence, it is imperative that as parents we teach our children what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and unacceptable. But one of the areas I think we may not focus our efforts on is self-cultivation and learning to control our impulses, finding our “inner zen” amidst the chaos of growing up. There are some simple yoga poses and meditation exercises that can be found online and in books for children to help teach them to know what “calm” feels like. I have done a few with my kids and it has been beneficial when I have needed to cue them during challenging times to find that calm within and not react. Don’t get me wrong, I said it was beneficial…I didn’t say we were successful every time! After all, there is a learning curve with maturity!

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can assist in helping the child find their inner calm. Needles, magnets, or Shonishin (Japanese style acupuncture using a set of metal tools that do not puncture the skin) can be used to settle the untamed spirit (impulsivity, hyperactivity), calm the mind, and help balance the emotions (mood swings, getting angry at the drop of a hat). I have always been amazed at how much kids really do love acupuncture! So, remember the picture above and consider acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to address your child’s learning their “inner calm amidst the chaos”!