This Saturday, I will be part of a panel discussion on Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Raynaud’s at the 1st Annual Raynauds Association National Patient Conference in Boston.

I have treated several patients with Raynaud’s syndrome, which impairs blood circulation to the extremities, causing cold hands and feet and often pain and numbness. Symptoms can range from mild annoyances to severe and life-changing. For some background on Raynaud’s, read this article from the Mayo Clinic.

In the course of researching for my presentation, I was surprised to find that not much clinical research has been done into acupuncture and Raynaud’s. However, the limited studies that have been done have found acupuncture beneficial.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory is based on circulation—the flow of Qi and blood through the meridian pathways. So, using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to treat circulatory disorders seems particularly fitting. In fact, TCM literature from almost 2,000 years ago describes a condition of cold hands and feet, and the herbal formulas to treat it.

In my own clinical experience, I have found that acupuncture can lessen the symptoms of Raynaud’s—patients tell me that they are able to tolerate cold situations (like the freezer section of the supermarket) with less discomfort.

While not a cure, acupuncture and herbal medicine are all-natural and minimally invasive, so they may be worth a try. Contact us if you would like more information about acupuncture and Raynaud’s.

Do you want to be transported to beautiful and exotic places? We are happy to be displaying the photos of Kimberly Durant, from Kim’s Candids. Before and during your treatment, you can enjoy pictures from Arizona, France, Italy and Switzerland.

Kim’s website also has photos from Belize, Peru, and the Czech Republic, which are available to order as notecards or larger images.

Thanks, Kim, for giving our office some international flair!

Dietary therapy is an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM theory believes that foods have either a warming or cooling nature. In summer, we can take advantage of cooling foods to help beat the heat.

One of the best foods for summer heat is something you probably gravitate towards naturally during this time—watermelon. You can read more about its nutritional properties here. Other members of the melon family, including cucumber, can also be helpful.

Mung beans, while not a common food here in the U.S., are a traditional Chinese remedy for overheating. And for drinking, lemonade, chrysanthemum tea, and mint tea all have cooling properties.

If you are interested in finding out more about Chinese dietary therapy, two good books are Healing with Whole Foods and The Tao of Healthy Eating.

Here is an interesting study from researchers in Hong Kong. They found that acupuncture, when combined with eyeglasses, improved the vision of children with amblyopia (“lazy eye”) better than glasses alone.

The results were better in children under 6 years old than in children between 7-12 years. This suggests that it is more effective to start treatment early.

At River Valley Acupuncture, we offer pediatric treatments for children under 13 years old for a low flat rate of $15 per treatment.

For more suggestions on improving eye health, read this article from Acupuncture.com. You may also want to consult with a Behavioral Optometrist about further resources.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be helpful for weight loss and other digestive issues, like acid reflux, irritable bowel, or stomach pain. This article offers suggestions on how to get the most out of your acupuncture treatments for digestive disorders.

Pay attention to timing: Spring and summer are the best time to start a weight-loss plan* because we naturally eat less and eat lighter foods during this time (once the fall season arrives, your needs to store energy for winter, so it is best to give your body a rest from trying to lose weight). Any time of year is appropriate to address other digestive issues, and your acupuncturist can help guide you towards the foods that are most helpful for each season.

Keep a food journal: A food journal will help you to identify which foods are triggering your symptoms or cravings, so that you can avoid them.

Clarify the issue: If weight loss has been a problem for you, do you know why? Do you face severe food cravings, is your energy level too low to exercise, does your metabolism seemed to have slowed down? Each of these complaints will need a different treatment strategy, so tell your acupuncturist what issues you are facing. If you are suffering from other digestive disorders, make sure that you have had a complete medical checkup so that you know the root cause of your symptoms.

Be careful of dietary supplements: Most over the counter weight-loss supplements contain laxatives and caffeine, which can be hard on your digestive system. There are much more gentle traditional Chinese herbal formulas that can both encourage weight loss as well as strengthen the digestive system. There are also Chinese herbs and over-the-counter supplements for other digestive complaints; ask your acupuncturist for suggestions.

Be realistic: Many of my patients succeed in losing weight; they realize that to be effective, acupuncture must be combined with a healthy diet and some form of exercise. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs should be seen as another tool in your weight-loss toolbox, but are by no means miracle cures. Similarly, if you have digestive problems but you continue to eat foods that trigger your symptoms, acupuncture will be a band-aid solution at best. In either case, acupuncture can take several weeks to see a difference, so be patient—your acupuncturist will consult with you about the number of treatments necessary for your condition.

*Disclaimer: check with your doctor first

Patients often ask me if Chinese acupuncturists really practice community acupuncture. A recent blog post to the Community Acupuncture Network website does a great job explaining how patients are treated in hospitals in Shanghai. Follow the link for the full text. An excerpt is below. As you can see, the Chinese clinics are actually a lot busier and nosier than community acupuncture practices here in the United States (but both get great results)!

“I conducted my acupuncture internship at Yueyang Hospital. Inpatients often receive acupuncture every day, while outpatients normally receive acupuncture 3 times a week. At the outpatient acupuncture department, patients start lining up as early as 6 in the morning for treatment. The department doesn’t open until 8 a.m., but there are no appointments – treatment is given on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you’re a new patient, the doctor will do a brief intake in her office. The office functions as the intake area as well as the place where the doctor and interns wash their hands, rinse out bloody cups, give injections into acupuncture points, insert ear seeds, check patients’ blood pressure, and even treat patients if the rest of the treatment area is full. It is a hive of activity, and by no means private.

The doctor will review the patient’s chart, ask questions, and check the tongue and pulse. Then the patient goes to the treatment area. The doctor with whom I studied, Dr. Zong, supervises an area of 8 tables and 3 chairs. The main area (pictured below) contains 4 tables and 3 chairs. There are curtains which can be used to provide privacy, but these are rarely used.

Each doctor is followed by a troupe of 2 to 4 clinical interns. Dr. Zong is in charge of the study-abroad program for international students, so there is also a group of 4 to 5 foreign students following her as well. As you can imagine, the treatment room is anything but quiet. Patients are chatting with other patients; interns are running around cupping, applying moxa, and removing needles; and Dr. Zong is calmly and methodically moving from patient to patient. As soon as one patient leaves, another takes his place. There is no time to change the sheets or even pause for a breath.

If you’re a returning patient, as soon as it’s your turn, you go right to your chair or table. Dr. Zong will come to you and do the intake right in the treatment room. There is no whispering here, no hushed voices. It would be hard to hear a whisper over the din. One of the first words you learn upon arriving in China is renao, which literally means “hot and noisy.” Renao has a very positive connotation. A place that is not renao feels empty and sad. Chinese clinics are very renao.”

***
“In the midst of the noise and through the haze of the moxa smoke, healing is taking place here. One of my favorite patients was being treated for schizophrenia, and she said that the treatment had allowed her to feel stable enough to return to work. Another patient with partial paralysis was able to get down from the treatment table by herself. This is truly a people’s medicine clinic, and the medicine works. Patients typically come at the same times each week and get to know each other. Husbands and wives come together, mothers bring their sons. There is a wonderful sense of camaraderie in the treatment room. They share the road to health together.

While those of us in the West may prefer a quieter room with some relaxing music in the background, Chinese acupuncture clinics and Community Acupuncture clinics are essentially the same: no fuss, no bother, a focus on the treatment itself and not on the interaction with the doctor, and high quality acupuncture at a low cost. Chinese acupuncture is Community Acupuncture.”

Starting in July, we are offering a new program at River Valley Acupuncture. Each month, I will pick one profession to recognize as a valuable part of our community. Any worker in that profession will receive their first acupuncture treatment free, during that month only.

The profession for July is anyone in the food service industry. When I was in college, one of my favorite jobs was working as a cashier at the school’s fast food restaurant. I got to see my friends and meet new people… though I did come home smelling like fryer grease! I also did a brief stint working as a waitress, so I know how hard these folks work.

So please, pass the word! Waitstaff, cafeteria workers, cooks, bakers, and anyone else in the food service industry can try their first treatment for free, from July 1-July 30.

Do you have friends who have been meaning to try acupuncture but haven’t gotten around to it? Today would be a great day for them to check it out.

River Valley Acupuncture has partnered with The Local Deal to offer new patients 2 acupuncture treatments for $25. The regular cost for two acupuncture treatments at River Valley ranges from $40-$80!

This deal is available today only (Wednesday, June 9, 2010). If you click on The Local Deal’s website anytime after today, you will get an offer for a different business.

So, take advantage! Please tell your friends about this offer right away!

I am so lucky to have a job where I can spend time with interesting, caring, and sincere people—my patients!

I would like to do a series of interviews for our website that profile different patients and their feelings about acupuncture. Please let me know if you would be willing to be featured.

Feeling stressed has become so common in modern times that many people don’t even consider it an illness. Yet, stress can create some very real symptoms, both emotional (anxiety, irritability, worry) and physical (headache, tense muscles, shortness of breath). Long-term stress can contribute to ailments like high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, irritable bowel, asthma, infertility, and skin disorders.

Stress has its roots in the “fight or flight” response. Our prehistoric ancestors faced daily struggles for survival, which triggered chemical responses in the body. These reactions aided the body with conserving energy and reacting quickly to face the danger more successfully. Although in modern times we are not usually faced with daily crises, we still have an automatic response whenever our brain thinks we are in trouble—this becomes stress.

Regular acupuncture patients can attest that acupuncture can be very beneficial with treating stress disorders. Acupuncture needles signal the nervous system to release endorphins—our natural “feel good” chemicals– into the bloodstream. An hour of peace and quiet and a nice nap certainly help as well!

If you are coming into acupuncture with a main complaint of stress, here’s what you can do to help boost the effectiveness of your treatment.

Know your triggers: They may be people, places, or events. Whenever possible, avoid these triggers. In some instances, this may not be practical. While acupuncture still can help you to manage stressful situations, you will probably need more treatments at a greater frequency if you are constantly faced with your triggers. Unfortunately, your acupuncturist can’t force your boss to be nicer to you (though you might want to suggest s/he come in for a few treatments!).

Track your symptoms: Stress impacts everyone differently. Some people will have almost entirely emotional symptoms. Other people will respond purely physically. Don’t think that an absence of anxiety means you are not suffering from stress—those tight shoulder muscles may say otherwise. By keeping track of your symptoms you will be able to provide feedback to your acupuncturist about how well the treatment is working. You may also discover some formerly unknown triggers.

Do your homework: Self-help work that you do on your own is just as important as your acupuncture sessions. Here are some ideas for coping methods you can use to lower your stress levels.

Physical- Exercise is a great stress-buster. Go for a walk, take a yoga class, or just find time to do a few minutes of stretching during your day. Get regular massages.
Mental- Keep a journal, make time for a favorite hobby, play with your pets, listen to your favorite music, practice meditation, set aside some alone time.
Social- Make use of your support network— talk with friends and express your feelings. Go on fun outings. Try things that make you laugh. Get the help of a therapist if necessary.
Lifestyle- Practice time management; don’t over-schedule yourself or try to multi-task. Get enough sleep and eat a balanced diet.

What if you are too overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? Your acupuncture treatment is a great time to practice some deep breathing so that you can use it as a coping mechanism for the coming week. I suggest my patients try the following technique, which I can “reverse breathing.”

Inhale through the nose as you would normally do. As you exhale, focus on emptying your lungs as much as possible. When you have exhaled as much as is comfortable, allow yourself to inhale; the inhalation should happen normally and easily, without conscious thought. Repeat cycle.

Once you are comfortable with reverse breathing, you can use it anywhere—in traffic, at the grocery store, in a business meeting—just keep your eyes open and no one will know that you are doing anything differently.

Do you have other questions about how acupuncture can help with stress management? Contact us!