This has to be one of the worst allergy seasons in Minnesota. So many people have come to our acupuncture clinic with irritated itchy eyes, sneezing, runny noses, sinus pressure and fatigue. But the good news is Chinese medicine offers some much needed relief for allergies.
Allergies are the 6th leading chronic illness in the U.S. Somewhere between 9 to 15% of Americans have hay fever. With the mild winter and the early warm weather this year, pollen levels are predicted to be at a record high. So many people with hay fever may be suffering more this year.
A recent study suggests that tai chi may improve balance for Parkinson’s sufferers. Study randomly assigned 195 Parkinson’s patients to participate in resistance training, tai chi or stretching. Patients in the tai chi group performed better in the stability tests throughout the study. People with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s used Tai Chi for this test.
Patients were still feeling the benefits of tai chi three months after the treatment ended. Plus, no serious adverse effects were experienced. If you or a loved one are dealing with Parkinson’s, consider adding tai chi to your holistic therapy program. You and your physician can read this report in the New England Journal of Medicine – Feb 9th. Study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 80 percent of the general population in the United States will suffer from low back pain sometime during their lifetime. Low back pain is the second most frequent reason Americans visit a medical doctor for treatment. It is also, according to a widely publicized study, the most frequent reason that Americans visit a licensed acupuncturist for care.
A German study on chronic low back pain showed that acupuncture works twice as well as standard care (Haake et al 2007). Standard care is defined as using drugs and physical therapy.
Have you ever suffered from a headache? It could have been a tension headache, cluster headache, sinus headache, rebound headache or a migraine headache. The good news is that acupuncture can address ALL of these headaches. As you read further we will focus on migraines today.
Migraines can run in families. They also affect more women than men. A migraine can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. It can be on one side or both sides of the head. The quality of pain can vary from a mere throbbing to a moderate or even severe pain that interferes with normal activities. Some people have to literally lie down to recover. And even that will not always offer relief in some cases.
Chinese New Year celebrates the Year of the Water Dragon beginning Monday, January 23rd, 2012. According to Chinese culture the Dragon is a symbol of power, superiority and rule.
Chinese New Year symbolizes new beginnings and a fresh start. Socially, it is a family affair, a time of thanksgiving, reunion, forgiveness and sharing. Traditionally people clean their houses from top to bottom to get rid of old stagnant energy and make room for positive energy of the New Year.
What happens when you’re really stressed out? Your body is keyed into your sympathetic nervous system or the “fight or flight syndrome.” Your adrenals are pumping, your breathing is shallow, heart beat is rapid, and digestion is incomplete. On a psychological level it can manifest as:
Imagine being able to relieve your stress easily and naturally. Acupuncture therapy helps your body to tune into your parasympathetic nervous system or relaxation response. After a treatment your heart beat is more regular, breathing is deeper, you’re bringing more oxygen into your blood stream, smooth muscles are relaxed and digestion is more complete. And on the psychological level it can help you to feel clear headed and refreshed.
2011 is rapidly fading away a little bit more each minute. Are you ready?
2011 was a surprising and transformative year. Moving productively from 2011 into 2012 – and having someone you can count on to support you to do it makes it easier. That’s why we at Complete Oriental Medical Care are here to assist you in creating a whole new possibility in your health.
It is no surprise that many of the top ten New Year’s resolutions are related to better health. Number 1 is to “lose weight,” number 2 to “quit smoking,” with “exercise more,” “eat healthier” and “reduce stress” also among the top ten.
According to Chinese medicine, winter is the time to rest and heal your body for the coming activities of spring and summer. Take this time to rest and revitalize your body.
“The wise nourish life by flowing with the four seasons and adapting to cold or heat, by harmonizing joy and anger in a tranquil dwelling, by balancing yin and yang, and what is hard and soft. So it is that dissolute evil cannot reach the man of wisdom, and he will be witness to a long life.” - Huangdi Neijing Suwen
China has long been known for having a population that was almost devoid of overweight citizens. Now with the advent of modern fast food infiltrating their society, things are changing.
If you visit China, you might be shocked at how many KFC’s and McDonald’s there are now. And if you go inside any of these fast food restaurants you’ll find dozens of teenagers. With China’s recent economic rise, some Chinese have changed their lifestyle and eating habits for the worse. Some Chinese parents have checked in their overweight teenagers into the Aimin Fat Reduction Clinic in Tianjin in northern China.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body – it protects you against infection and disease. Your skin also helps regulate body temperature and it helps your body remove excess salt and water. From a Chinese medicine perspective the skin circulates the Wei Qi or defensive energy that protects you against colds and flu. For thousands of years the emphasis of Chinese medicine has always been to help people live longer and healthier naturally.
The health of your skin is affected by many factors such as stress, diet, quality of sleep, environmental pollution and holistic skin care.
Steven Sonmore, LAc is a licensed acupuncturist in Minneapolis, Minnesota with over 20 years experience of health care and pain management.