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Does Your Liver Need a Spring Tune-Up?

In Chinese medicine, each season is ruled by a particular organ system and spring is connected to the liver. What does this mean? Well, you probably notice changes in the way you feel, both physically and mentally, as the seasons change; I know I tend to feel a bit more contemplative and introspective during the winter months. Once spring hits, I’m ready to recharge and get things done! The liver energy is strong and assertive, the type of energy you need to create plans and then propel them into motion. However, if your liver is a little out of balance, you might notice you are more irritable or on edge than usual. Here are a few signs that your liver is in need of an acupuncture tune-up: continue reading »

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Acupuncture and Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States with about 60,000 deaths from it every year. Like all cancer, treatment can be long, uncomfortable and come with many side effects. Those getting chemotherapy may experience nausea, vomiting, postoperative pain, cancer related pain, insomnia and anxiety. The chronic pain can significantly impact quality of life. Most patients are prescribed medications such as opioids for pain that have side effects and are highly addictive. continue reading »

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Heart Afire: The Fire Element

The organs in Chinese medicine are more than just a physical representation; they include not only their physiological function, but also their mental, emotional, spiritual and elemental qualities that align with nature and the seasons.

Let’s explore the heart.

The heart season is summer, and heart is considered the most yang: hot, bountiful and abundant. Yang is what is bright, moving, outward, hot and loud. Yin is what is more inward, still, dark and cooler. The color the heart is associated with is red, the climate is heat, the flavor is bitter and it’s paired organ is the small intestine (many urinary issues are due to ‘heart fire’ heat descending). The sense-organ aligned with heart is the tongue, and the tissues associated with heart are the blood and vessels. The heart sound is laughing, and the emotion is joy. The heart houses what is known as the shen, which is the mind and spirit. continue reading »

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INK to END LYME

In February 2017, tattoo artists team up to fight against the fastest growing epidemic in the United States.
During this month, each shop will pick a day to host this Ink to End Lyme event.
Each individual shop will create their own event to raise awareness and funds.

Visit http://lymewarrior.us/ for more information.

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Fighting Flu Season with Acupuncture

While the flu is not actually a ‘season’, we have become programmed to think of it as the months of November through March. On average, the flu hospitalizes thousands every year, especially the young and elderly. There are also a number of deaths related to the flu, mostly due to people already having compromised immune systems.

The flu, also known as influenza, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is caused by a number of viruses. To date, there are approximately 26 to 30 different known strains of the flu virus. This is one of the reasons the flu vaccine has only mild efficacy. The flu vaccine itself typically only covers five to seven strains of the flu.  Symptoms of the flu include fever, coughing, a sore throat, fatigue, muscle aches, runny nose and watery eyes. continue reading »

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Going Deeper: The Kidneys

The organs in Chinese medicine are more than just a physical representation. They are an organ system, and include not only their physiological function, but also mental, emotional, spiritual and elemental qualities that align with nature and the seasons.

Let’s explore the kidneys…

In Chinese medicine each organ has an element associated with it: liver and wood, stomach and earth, kidney and water, for example. There is also an emotion, a color and flavor associated with the organ system.The kidney element governs water and is associated with the season of winter, where the energies are turning from the hotter yang months to the cooler yin of winter. For the kidneys, the emotion is fear, the color is dark or black and the flavor is salty. It also opens to the ear, has the direction of north and is paired with the bladder. The kidney element houses willpower and manifests in the teeth and luster of the hair. continue reading »

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Foods for the Winter Season

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Everybody knows that food is what gives our bodies the energy we need to survive. But not everyone is aware that certain foods should be consumed during specific times of the year. In areas like the Midwest, where fruits and vegetables are harder to keep on hand when the weather becomes colder, this principle is followed a little more closely. But in areas like Hawaii and Southern California, where fresh fruits and vegetables are always available and the climate is more moderate, people sometimes forget to eat according to the seasons. continue reading »

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Why Am I So TIRED…And How To Fix It!

blog-img-why-am-i-so-tiredand-how-to-fix_640A very common complaint that we acupuncturists hear from our patients is that they constantly feel tired. Sometimes this fatigue is related to lack of sleep; sometimes, however, no amount of rest seems to alleviate the sleepiness.

From an acupuncture and Chinese Medicine perspective, there are numerous imbalances in our bodies that can cause the constant fatigue. Here are some of the most common imbalances that can lead to fatigue, lethargy, lack of energy/motivation, and tiredness. continue reading »

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Five Ways to Alleviate Insomnia

blog-img-five-ways-to-alleviate-insomnia_640Insomnia is a phenomenon almost everybody experiences at some point in their life; and most of us don’t know how or why it happens. Insomnia is defined as difficulty falling asleep, despite being tired. Combatting insomnia may be easier than you think. Here are five simple ways to fall asleep faster and stay asleep all night.

Turn off your phone

In today’s society, we are almost surgically attached to our phones, iPads, laptops, etc. And while the devices keep us informed and connected, they are also harm us when it comes to our sleep. Smartphones and other gadgets emit blue wavelengths. These wavelengths suppress the production of melatonin in our bodies. Melatonin is a natural hormone that makes you feel sleepy. Also, the light given off by your devices can actually stimulate the mind, thus causing poor sleep.

So as difficult as it may be, buy a regular alarm clock and turn off the phone. continue reading »

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How to Prepare For Seasonal Affective Disorder

When the seasons change you have to be ready for a change in mood, especially as we move from fall into winter. Although it may not seem as drastic of a shift as you think, it matters more to our mental and physical states than you may know. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is estimated to affect around 10 million Americans a year, and this isn’t even the full number of reported cases. continue reading »

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