Staying in Balance Acupuncture
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As I do the work of healing, I’m always looking for ways to empower you to live your healthiest life. I tend to look for simple things that can be done in a small amount of time, and when done consistently can make big changes.
I just discovered something called the MELT Method. It uses small balls & towels or foam rollers to rehydrate the connective tissue leading to decreased inflammation. The MELT Method, developed by Sue Hitzmann, is a self-care practice that enhances mobility and flexibility and regulates the nervous system, leading to greater range of motion and relaxation. Even if you’ve been in pain for years, the MELT Method can help you. And the techniques feel so good while you’re doing them. Recently, I became a MELT Hand & Foot Instructor and have started incorporating MELT treatments into my practice. It’s been fabulous. Super helpful for patients with neuropathy and neurological conditions like MS. Also, for folks that have limited mobility, which makes it harder to exercise. I’ve added MELT to my own self-care practice. I have nasty bunions and I like that there is a specific treatment to make my big toes straighter. MELT can also help with plantar fasciitis, a tight Achillies tendon, hammer toes and neuropathy. MELT can be done at home in 10 minutes a day. And, anyone can use the techniques. You can MELT whether you are in pain and have limited mobility OR are healthy and want to improve your workout in the gym. I’m offering ½ hour MELT sessions. I’ll teach you the techniques and send you home with an individual, daily 10–20 minute practice for you to do at home. You’ll also get a small starter kit with MELT balls and a bunion band. Even if you haven’t seen me before, you can schedule a MELT appointment online. https://square.site/book/3HWVYR9VAPMQA/staying-in-balance-acupuncture-easthampton-ma Also, feel free to email me to make an appointment or get more info. Let me join you on your journey towards health!
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I hear time & time again from patients that as they begin to feel pain relief, they find they have so much more time & energy. Being pain-free allows them to sleep better at night, go back to exercising & be able to return to doing the things that they love.
The truth is pain, while often not serious, can sap energy and be difficult to manage because the brain is sending constant messages that something is wrong. Sadly, for most of us, no one has told us what to do to get relief. Cortisone & muscle relaxers offer temporary, and sometimes necessary relief. However, they don’t treat the underlying problem. To do this, it’s important to understand how pain develops and why it can persist long after our bodies have healed from an injury. We experience pain when special nerve endings called nociceptors detect harmful stimuli and send electrical signals to the central nervous system. There are 3 types of nociceptors that respond to three types of harmful stimuli:
Unfortunately, when pain goes on for a long time it causes the nervous system to be overly sensitized. All kinds of sensations are recognized as threats, creating a feedback loop that perpetuates pain even if there is nothing fundamentally wrong & no immediate danger. It’s not clear to many of my patients why this is happening, making the situation even more frustrating. And pain, unlike more serious diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease and cancer, is often unrelenting. Nerve endings continue to send signals to the brain, sometimes after the injury has healed. Ideally, we figure out what is causing the pain & with the help of acupuncture, craniosacral therapy & simple adjustments to posture, as well as some gentle movements, the body heals & the pain goes away. I see this happening over and over again. But honestly, particularly with chronic conditions, this takes time. What to do in the moment, when there is real discomfort? I recommend these strategies from the Mayo Clinic’s website 4(26.7%) :
Feel free to reach out to me for a free consultationif you are looking for a way to get pain relief. With you on your journey towards health! From an acupuncturist's point of view pain is caused by either stagnation -- too much energy in a painful area of the body -- or deficiency -- too little energy. Another way to think about it is that there is a blockage either from stuck energy or lack of energy in one of the meridians that travel along the arms, legs, head and trunk of the body. Treatment consists of removing this energetic blockage or sending energy to a deficient area.
The great thing about this model is that it works with both acute and chronic pain. Even if an injured area has healed, acupuncture helps to restore movement to that area. From a Western Medical perspective, chronic pain is often caused by a lack of movement. In a recent article from Harvard Health Publications, Dr. James Rainville, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School explains that "Movement seems to be the stimulus to normalize pain responses in the nervous system. Studies on animals with spinal injuries show faster pain resolution among those forced to exercise than among those allowed to move less." He goes on to explain, "This is probably the result of a survival mechanism…If an animal in the wild doesn't get moving, it is eaten or starves to death. People who get moving — back to the gym, back to cleaning the house — do the best," If you've been struggling with chronic pain, acupuncture with its emphasis on restoring movement to the body may be for you. |
AuthorIn practice for over 20 years, Bonnie Diamond offers individualized, heart-centered care using a pain-free, Japanese style of acupuncture. Her work is influenced by her nine year struggle with and complete recovery from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 
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