Ear Acupuncture & Acupressure for Stress Relief

You've probably noticed when coming in for your Acupuncture treatment, that although the points used vary from treatment to treatment, you almost always have needles in your ears. Why is that?  The ears are actually a microsystem, meaning that much like foot reflexology, they have an "imprinted map" of our entire body.  If you picture a baby curled up in fetal position, upside down, you can imagine this microsystem on an ear, with the head of the baby on the ear lobe, the spine curling up the ear, and the lower body at the top of the ear.    By locating points according to this map, any area of the body can be addressed with a needle placed in the correct point location.

The ears are rich with nerve endings, and ear points have direct calming effects on the central nervous system, making them especially effective for pain relief, addictions, and stress relief.  In a community acupuncture clinic, we see a lot of conditions aggravated by stress and anxiety, so ear points are almost always incorporated into a treatment.  A particular favorite is a point named "Shenmen" which has a calming, relaxing, and soothing effect on our entire system.  When we are relaxed, our body has a much easier time using it's energy to heal, so this is an extremely therapeutic part of the treatment.  When patients are coming in specifically for stress and anxiety relief, sometimes after the needles are pulled out we will stick tiny stainless steel balls known as "earseeds" onto ear points.  These earseeds have an adhesive that keeps them stuck to the ears, and they can be worn for several days and stimulated with your fingers for an ongoing "acupressure" treatment effect even after you leave the clinic.

If for some reason you can't make it in for a treatment, give yourself some stress relieving acupressure by grasping your ear between thumb and index finger, and massage the entire ear.  You can start at the top, and gradually work your way down and around the ear to the ear lobe, and then massage the deeper inner concave part of your ear as well.  Massage the ears for a minute or two until you can feel the warmth of increased blood flow.  Take deep breaths and allow your nervous system to settle down again.  Enjoy the benefits of this acupressure ear massage anytime you are feeling stressed or anxious, and then as soon as you can, get in for a stronger dose of Acupuncture to heighten the therapeutic effect.  Have a stress free holiday season!

Help prevent colds and flu with food

Cold and flu season is in full force. A good way to prevent catching anything is to get an acupuncture treatment at the first hint of symptoms, (sore throat, body aches, chills and fever). There are also foods you can incorporate into your diet that will assist in keeping your immune system strong.

These include:

basil                      ginger
black pepper         leeks
caraway                mustard leaf
cayenne                onion
cinnamon             peppermint
coriander              rosemary
garlic                    sage
scallions

It is also a good idea to reduce or omit foods that cause congestion. The biggest offenders are dairy, wheat, sugar, and anything with saturated fat.

Stay healthy this season! With a good diet and steady acupuncture, your body's defenses will be strong. 

Chinese Herbal Formulas for Optimal Health and Wellness

When most people hear the term "Traditional Chinese Medicine," they probably think of Acupuncture.  But did you know, before Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine was predominantly herbal medicine, and today, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs together form the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The benefit received from Acupuncture can be enhanced and magnified by the addition of a Chinese Herbal formula into your daily routine, and the right formula can make all the difference in your progress towards optimal health.  Chinese Herbs are a great way to supplement your Acupuncture treatment, help you keep feeling the therapeutic effect of Chinese Medicine in between Acupuncture treatment days, and assist your healing process from the inside out.     

At The Pin Cushion Clinic, we carry a line of Chinese Herbal formulas by Evergreen Herbs, a company we have chosen for the clinical effectiveness of their products, as well as the purity of the ingredients.  Although Chinese Herbs can be prescribed in whole bulk form which you boil to make a tea, most people don't have the time to dedicate to this process, so the herbs we carry have already been ground into a powder and encapsulated so they are convenient for travel and a busy lifestyle.  We stock common formulas for conditions we see often, and many people are surprised at how many types of conditions can be treated with Chinese Herbs.  We carry formulas for anything from insomnia, anxiety, and stress relief,  to menstrual cycle regulation, and pain relief.  And, if the formula we prescribe for you is a little more obscure, we are happy to order it. 

Keep this in mind for your next Acupuncture appointment.  If you have been curious about Chinese Herbs, or wonder how they could benefit you and help you reach your health and wellness goals even more quickly, ask your Acupuncturist at your next appointment, and we'd be happy to make a recommendation for you.

Here's to your good health!

Cherry Bublanina

It's summer already and the cherries are showing up in grocery stores and farmers' markets. According to Chinese medicine, cherries are nourishing to the blood and are great for arthritis. While they're great on their own, why not add a little butter and sugar to sweeten the deal? This is a variation of a recipe my best friend's mom made for us during sleepovers in grade school. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs divided, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pound washed, pitted and halved red cherries
• Confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

1. Place rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-by-9-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar and yolks until light and fluffy. Add salt, mixing well.
   
   
2. In a clean medium bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Alternately fold in egg whites and flour into butter-egg mixture.
   
   
3. Turn batter into prepared pan and scatter cherries evenly over top. Lightly press down cherries into batter until partially covered. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cut into 6 equal pieces. Serve warm or cold dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Acupuncture for the Common Cold

Acupuncture has been found to be an effective treatment for the common cold, and is an excellent ally to give our immune system a boost during a time when our defenses need strengthening.  Typically, Acupuncture can help alleviate the intensity of symptoms, and often shortens the duration of the cold.  The treatment will vary depending on your specific symptoms, and your Acupuncturist will probably asks things about whether you have sore throat, fever, chills, cough, phlegm, headache, body aches, fatigue, and more.  The information you provide, along with your pulse and tongue, will help the Acupuncturist arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan to help boost your body's defenses and get you feeling better as soon as possible. 

Some people are under the impression that they shouldn't come in for a treatment if they have a cold.  We ultimately leave that decision up to you, and we certainly encourage you to stay home in bed, resting, if that feels like the best place for you to be.  A high fever, a persistent, uncontrollable cough, or vomiting, would all be good reasons to stay home and rest.  However, if you feel well enough to come to the clinic, there are a lot of things we can do to help point your body back in a healing direction.   

Often people are concerned about their symptoms disturbing other patients in the community setting.  While this is a valid concern, we would like you to be able to come get treatment if possible, and sometimes coughing or sneezing dissipates during a treatment.  We take measures to keep other patients germ free, such as switching out the blanket that covers your chair after your done, with a clean blanket.  We also have hand sanitizer and tissues in the room, and of course as always, all the needles are packaged in sterile containers and are disposed of after a single use.  If you are unsure of the best choice in your particular situation, you can always call us to explain your symptoms and get our opinion about the best plan for you.

Acupuncture encourages your body to shift back into a healthy balance, so, in applicable cases, the treatments would be aimed at clearing heat (fever, sore throat, inflammation), soothing the lungs to alleviate cough, alleviating head and body aches, soothing an upset stomach, and strengthening your immune system to fight off whatever pathogen is causing the symptoms.  Beyond the Acupuncture treatment, we have various herbal lozenges and syrups to soothe sore throats, as well as several herbal formulas and herbal teas to help support your process of recovery and healing.

Acupuncture for Emotional Well Being

Many people get Acupuncture treatment for physical health concerns, but Acupuncture is also very effective at relieving stress, calming the mind, and balancing mood and emotional fluctuations. Our emotional and mental health has a huge impact on our well being, and can transform our experience of day to day life. Our emotions and mood are always changing over the course of our life, or even over the course of a day. This is a completely normal and healthy part of life. However, when we get "stuck" in a certain emotional pattern, whether it be sadness, depression, anxiety, fear, anger or irritability, sometimes we need a little support to help us shift back into balance.

Acupuncture is all about treating every individual holistically- mind, body, and spirit. The Acupuncturist looks for any areas of deficiency, excess, or stagnation, in order to select treatment points that will re-balance that individual and promote the smooth flow of energy, harmonizing body, mind, and spirit. Our emotions often affect us on a physical level as well, whether they take a toll on our sleep, our energy level, or our digestion, and so each individual's unique presentation of s is treated with a unique set of points selected by the Acupuncturist to treat their specific condition.

Acupuncture has been found to stimulate release of the body's own endogenous endorphins which help relieve pain, and Acupuncture also regulates serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin has been called "nature's feel good chemical" because of it's effect on mood and disposition. Many anti-depressant prescriptions help by affecting serotonin levels, because it can help promote a feeling of calm and an uplifted mood. Acupuncture is a way to achieve this effect without the side effects of prescription medications. Additionally, Acupuncture relieves stress by encouraging the central nervous system to shift out of sympathetic "fight or flight" mode, into parasympathetic "rest and relax" mode. Most people feel very relaxed during and after treatment.

If you are seeking balance for your emotions, Acupuncture is an effective therapy that addresses the whole person, to bring balance and well being to body, mind, and spirit.

Smoking Cessation

Are you interested in quitting smoking, but it seems daunting? Here is The Pin Cushion's smoking cessation protocol. Remember, quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health!

Acupuncture is an effective tool to enable one to quit smoking by minimizing cravings, calming the nervous system and strengthening will power. However, acupuncture can only work if you are ready to quit and willing to commit to the process.

Acupuncture works by intercepting messages sent by the brain to the body that demand more nicotine, thereby disrupting the addictive process. Treatment will help eliminate most cravings, but not the habit. Generally treatment can help reduce cravings from 20+ cigarettes to only 3-5 a day.

Some behavior modification in the weeks before quitting helps to set the right course.

THE PLAN:

Today is the start date, and you will quit smoking 10 days from now. In the next 10 days you may smoke as often and as much as you want BUT, you may not do anything else while smoking. No driving, no tv, no email, no phone, no conversation. Your attention must be 100% toward the act of smoking. Smoke the strongest cigarettes you can handle for the first 5 days at your regular rate, and then move to ultralights for next 5 days while reducing your intake to half what it normally would be. All the while keeping your attention fixed exclusively on the act of smoking. Come in for acupuncture at least once during this time period.

Once the 10 days are up- that's it, you're done. Come in for acupuncture treatment 2-3 times the first and second week of quitting, followed by one acupuncture treatment in the third and fourth week of quitting.

Support person - The decision to stop smoking can elicit uncomfortable emotions. Ask someone who is available to you in the next few weeks to act as a sounding board and provide encouragement when needed.

Affirmation - An affirmation is a positive statement repeated often to create desired changes in your life. Repeating the affirmation helps not only to remind you why you are no longer smoking but imprints a new image of health so that the body can then produce health. Examples: "I am a non-smoker. I breathe fresh, clean air deeply into my lungs. I make healthy choices in my life."

Drink water - Research shows that dryness causes cravings. Drink water at room temperature frequently throughout the day.

Refrain from drinking coffee - Research shows that coffee causes cravings and dehydrates the body.

Food choices - Eat a lot of carrots, celery, and other vegetables throughout the next few days. Candies upset blood sugar level, which can aggravate smoking withdrawal symptoms. Sugar subsitutes such as Nutrasweet are sweeter than sugar and cause further cravings.

Managing cravings - Cravings feel like they will last forever but actually fade in two minutes. Plan what you will do during a craving. Examples: Repeat your affirmation, breathe deeply, walk to another place, use visualization, call your support person.