Blog

Oriental Medicine teaches us that we need to rest.   Our active yang side needs to be balanced by our receptive yin side.  Just as day turns into night, activity gives way to rest.  This is one of the primary rhythms of our lives.  Western science is finding evidence that this can be verified by studying the brain. 

Scientists have known that memories are formed and consolidated during sleep.  In addition, a study published in the journal, Science, provides evidence that waste products that accumulate in the brain are removed to a much greater extend during sleep.  Those zzzzs are truly important.

Most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep.  For some of us, we just don’t allocate that much time.  In our fast-paced culture, it’s easy to burn both sides of the candle.  So it’s important to ask, “Am I allowing myself to get sufficient rest?”  If not, it’s time to take a look at your calendar and make some adjustments. 

• Spend a week writing down everything you are doing.  
  
• Review your schedule and place activities into three categories – essential items, items that bring you joy, and items that merely make the time pass.
  
• Remove items in the third category from your daily routine and replace them with additional time for sleep.
  

Other people are in bed at a reasonable hour, but have problems falling asleep and/or staying asleep.  Here are some suggestions. 

• No caffeine after 12pm.  
  
• Reduce your intake of sugar.  
  
• Only use your bed for sleep and sex.  
  
• Keep all electronic devices out of you bedroom.  Give those phones a rest.
  
• Stick to a schedule.  Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
  
• If you have trouble falling asleep, count backwards from 100 to 0.  If you’re still awake, get out of bed and read for a half an hour.
  
• Try chamomile or lavender tea before bedtime.
  
• If your mind is buzzing with thoughts, take a pad and write everything down.
  
• I often use the acupuncture point, Kidney 1, located on the bottom of the foot for people who have trouble sleeping.  You can massage this point at home before bedtime.

Here's to sweet dreams!

When someone comes to me with back pain, I'm always interested in finding out exactly what they are referring to.  Did they pull a muscle shoveling snow or lifting a heavy object?  Have they recently had surgery?  Do they have scoliosis or another structural problem?  Do they have a weak immune system?  Have they been spending many hours in front of the computer?  Is the pain sharp and stabbing or dull and achy?  Does the pain radiate into the legs?

The answer to each of these questions is important because back pain isn't one specific thing.  My treatments vary depending on exactly where the pain is, what is causing it and what acupuncture points each person responds to.  So I take time to listen to what each patient is experiencing.  I then palpate the body carefully so I know exactly where the discomfort is.  Patients who are receiving treatments from other medical professionals at the same time they are receiving acupuncture treatments tell me that these practitioners are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they recover.

Likewise, patients are often surprised that I can offer them relief without putting needles into painful areas.  Instead, I pick points that release pain but are located far away from where the injury is.  When the body is relaxed it is better able to receive treatment and heal.

A great acupuncture point to massage if you have lower back pain is Japanese Lung 10, which is pictured below.