Fall is the beginning of cold season. It’s also when people with allergies to weeds (ragweed, goldenrod, etc.) tend to have the worst symptoms. So, how do you know if you are coming down with a cold or if you have allergies?

This chart from WebMD does a great job of breaking down the common symptoms associated with colds and allergies. Even if you are not sure what is causing your symptoms, there are many natural remedies that can be helpful for both conditions. A neti pot can help with a stuffy and runny nose, and also helps by physically rinsing out the allergen or virus. Vitamin C has also been used to treat both colds and allergies.

In Chinese medicine, there are often similar treatments for both colds and allergies. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can both provide relief.

Can’t make it into the office for a full treatment? You can still start your weekend off right with a 30-minute stress-relief acupuncture treatment with acupuncturist Emily Konstan at Generations Healing Center.

These are ear acupuncture treatments performed in a group setting for $15. The dates are Fridays: September 24, October 5, and November 12 at either 6:15pm or 6:40pm.

Treatments are by appointment only. Call Generations to schedule: (508) 987-3310

I hope to see you there!

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine are two tools that can help to increase your chance of success with quitting smoking. My patients tell me that they experience fewer cravings and less stress and irritability as they quit. Many discover that they no longer find smoking or tobacco to be enjoyable. Several of my patients who began acupuncture for other main complaints (such as back pain or anxiety) have also decided to stop smoking during the course of their acupuncture treatment.

Your mindset will play a major role in how easy or difficult it is for you to quit smoking. Quitting smoking is more likely to be effective if you want to quit for your own reasons, not because of social pressure from those around you. If you are at all ambivalent about quitting– whether because you enjoy the social aspect or worry about gaining weight– it will be much harder.

Here are a few more tips to get you started:
Find your motivation- Make a list of your reasons for quitting and keep them close to you so that you can remind yourself whenever things get tough.
Make a plan- Some people like to try a few acupuncture treatments and see how they feel before committing to a quit date. While this is fine in the short term, ultimately it is better to hold yourself accountable with a plan. That plan can either be a set quit date, or a resolve to cut down the amount you smoke by half each week.
Know your triggers- Avoid situations where you are likely to smoke and avoid other smokers whenever possible. Have a plan in advance of how you will deal with cravings. Create a support network of people who will encourage you in your goal.
Stay healthy- Get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated by drinking enough water, and eat a balanced diet. This will help you to feel better overall and to manage stress. Avoid caffeine and sugar, which may stimulate nicotine cravings.
Get help from local and national organizations
Some great sites to get you started:
American Cancer Society
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Try to Stop

Quitting smoking with acupuncture
Depending on the severity of your withdrawal symptoms, you probably need to come in at least two or three times a week within the first few weeks of quitting. At this stage, there is no such thing as getting acupuncture too frequently—if you need it, feel free to come in every day for treatment. You will be able to taper off the number of treatments you need as the weeks progress.

Most people find acupuncture to be extremely relaxing, both during the treatment and for a time afterwards. This helps with stress management, and specific acupuncture treatments can also help to target cravings.

Quitting smoking with herbal medicine
There are also several Chinese herbal formulas that can help with irritability, anxiety, and stress. Not everyone will choose to use herbal medicine as they quit smoking, but it can be a helpful adjunct to acupuncture treatment.

Since Chinese medicine seeks to restore balance to the body as a whole, you may discover other health benefits from acupuncture and herbal medicine as well. Remember, quitting smoking is a process and acupuncture is most effective when you can commit to a series of regular treatments. Don’t give up, even if you “slip” or have a bad day. Good luck!

Why would I want to get acupuncture? Do I have to believe in this to work? How soon will I start to see changes? Why do you treat differently from my last acupuncturist?

All of the above are common questions that acupuncturists are used to answering. Now, these and many more are answered in an easy-to-understand manner in the new book Why Did You Put That Needle There?

Written by the folks at Manchester Acupuncture Studio, Why Did You Put That Needle There answers the questions that many patients have, but don’t always ask. For the past several weeks, our waiting room copy has been popular with patients—many even bring the book in to read during treatment!

Now, we are also offering copies for sale in our office. If you want more of an in-depth understanding of acupuncture, or you are looking for some easy-to-read information to pass along to a friend or family member, this is the book for you! Why Did You Put That Needle There costs just $8 (plus tax), and a portion of the cost of every book goes to benefit the non-profit Community Acupuncture Network.

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.”