Love and Acupuncture

by Amy on January 24, 2012

Heart Acupuncture

February is nearly here- the month where the focus is on love. While sending love to others is a wonderful idea, it’s also the ideal time to think about love for yourself, especially your body. The best way to show your body some love it is to take care of it.

Your body wants to be healthy, and to function at its best. When you are sick or hurt, your body does everything it can to heal itself. The excess phlegm when you have a cold? Your body attacking the virus. That cut that healed in a week? Your cells working hard to make you whole again. The human body is pretty incredible, and should be treated properly.

-Nourish yourself with proper food. Eat organic foods, and prepare them yourself.  When you put time and thought into nutritious meals, you appreciate the food more. It also makes you more aware of the nutritional choices going into your body (unlike processed foods, where you often have no idea!).

-Exercise is absolutely necessary for your body and for your mind. Releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine makes you feel good while losing fat and toning muscles. What better way to spend your lunch hour several days a week? And check out this Science Daily article if you are having second thoughts on exercise. New brain cells, anyone?

-Acupuncture allow healing both physically and mentally. By clearing your mind, you help to “reset” your body physically. Letting go of unnecessary stress loosens muscles, releases endorphins, and puts the body in a state of relaxed bliss.

-Massage centers and relaxes the body.  During a session, you become aware of the parts that need more attention or may be tender. I always end my treatments with some massage – usually facial, scalp or shoulders, to help ground and center my patients (and who doesn’t like massage on a nice warm treatment table?)

Respect your body by treating it right. Follow those basic rules we hear again and again: nourish your body with good food, exercise, and promote general well-being by getting acupuncture or a massage. You have to give a little love to get a little love- your body will thank you for it!

 

p.s. Worried about loving the new shape of your post-baby body? Check out the Zenana Spa blog for ideas- so great!

 

 

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Ten Ways Less Stress Can Improve Your Health

by Lynn Jaffee on January 17, 2012

 We all live with some amount of stress. In fact, a little stress keeps life interesting, keeps you on your toes, and can be an agent for change. It’s when stress overshadows everything in your life, that it becomes a problem. Unrelenting stress can impact your health in countless negative ways, from insomnia to poor digestion.

 In Chinese medicine, stress almost always is described as a disharmony between the Liver and Spleen organ systems. Very simply, your Chinese Liver system is responsible for regulating . . . → Read More: Ten Ways Less Stress Can Improve Your Health

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Acupuncture for Pain Relief

by Lynn Jaffee on January 9, 2012

As an acupuncturist, I regularly see people in pain; people with arthritis, blown out backs, sprained ankles, sciatica, headaches, and those recovering from surgery.  If you’ve ever suffered from a painful condition, you know that your particular pain is unique.  It can be dull and achy, sharp and stabbing, throbbing, burning, or it can feel electric.  The pain may come and go or be ever-present. It may wake you at night or change with the weather.

What causes pain?  There are actually a number . . . → Read More: Acupuncture for Pain Relief

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Depression, Bupleurum, and Your Chinese Liver

by Lynn Jaffee on December 19, 2011

In my acupuncture practice, I see a number of people who struggle with emotional symptoms, such as stress, depression, anxiety, or irritability.  Jolene* is one of those people.  She works long hours at her sales job, takes care of unappreciative ailing parents, and struggles to make ends meet.  Essentially, her life is not going how she would like, and it makes her depressed and irritable.

Jolene comes in for acupuncture every couple of weeks, and she feels better for a while.  However, the circumstances . . . → Read More: Depression, Bupleurum, and Your Chinese Liver

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Acupuncture for Dizziness

by Lynn Jaffee on December 9, 2011

Dizziness can make your life a living hell. If you suffer from dizziness or vertigo, you’re no stranger to the feeling of the world whirling around you, unsteadiness, and even nausea associated with this miserable condition. Several years ago while traveling through Europe, my husband had a bout of vertigo with nausea that literally left him crawling from the bed to the bathroom on his hands and knees for the better part of a week.

The symptoms of mild dizziness can include feeling lightheaded, . . . → Read More: Acupuncture for Dizziness

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Is Acupuncture Safe During Pregnancy?

December 2, 2011

I remember the first pregnant woman I treated with acupuncture. I was in acupuncture school at the time, and putting in my hours in the teaching clinic. A classmate of mine had become pregnant and had a wicked case of morning sickness. Most of the time…

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Ten Tips for Staying Healthy This Winter

November 18, 2011

Here in Minnesota, there are two types of people. Those who love winter, and those who think it basically sucks. I’m one of the latter, but working hard to make my peace with the cold, dark days of January. I have new snowshoes to get me outside …

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Does Acupuncture Hurt?

November 10, 2011

I can spot people with a fear of needles from a mile away, especially at health fairs, talks, or community events.  When they see that I’m an acupuncturist, their eyes meet mine for an instant, then their gaze slides to the floor and they keep …

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Stress and Anxiety in the Workplace

October 31, 2011

Lately I’ve been seeing a disturbing trend among my patients.  More and more are seeking acupuncture for health issues due to stress and anxiety related to their jobs.  A few examples: Joe* has a job he loves, but is anxious about his performance a…

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A Whole Lotta Moxa

October 19, 2011

Many years ago a patient came into my acupuncture clinic and asked me if I had moxie. Huh? I have been described as many things, including intense, impatient, and opinionated, so I guess you could say I have moxie, but why was she asking? After a few m…

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