Among the many lessons I learned throughout my 8 day convalescence, I learned a lot about the power of healing touch.  Although I was constantly being “touched” (to have monitors attached/detached, blood work drawn, etc.), it was never something that I looked forward to nor did I find to be healing.  The “healing” that I found in the hospital was through various large needles being stuck in my body for various amounts of time.  This led me to think about new patients that are anxious or nervous about their first acupuncture treatment.  If a person’s context of “needles” lies within a similar experience to my hospital stay, no wonder there is so much anxiety!  The context of needles from a Western perspective compared with an acupuncture treatment is vastly different; in fact, there is almost no comparison!  First, the goal of acupuncture needles has nothing to do with traditional needles.  Acupuncture needles are much thinner, so much so that it is almost unfair to call it a “needle”.    Second, acupuncture needles are used to interact with the person’s qi energy—not to add or take away anything substance from the body.  Another way to understand this concept is how the acupuncture needles are simply serving the body as a guide its own energy back into balance.  This is a vastly different concept from the needles I received at the hospital, which were used to either delivery or withdraw fluids from my body. 

 Finally, the most important differentiation is intention and energy!  When an acupuncturist administers needles, it is with an energetic intention to direct the patient’s qi.  Very rarely does the insertion of an acupuncture needle cause pain, nor is it the goal of acupuncture to inflict pain.  (Which is also true for Western needles, although there is always some sort of discomfort)  Here’s the point: the purpose of touch in Chinese medicine (and most complementary modalities) is the source of healing itself.  This healing touch allows the patient to relax and open their own energy channels and allow healing to occur.  This approach to health is vastly different from Western medicine but still has a valuable and important place in the healing process.  My first stop after my release from the hospital was to the acupuncture office so that my recuperation could continue beyond the hospital treatment.  While the hospital stay was vital to my recovery, so too was acupuncture and energy healing.  Put simply, acupuncture is soothing and allowed my body to relax after a week of fear (my own) and constant stimulation.  Based on my personal experience, I wish for all patients in the hospital to be able to experience acupuncture—or any energy work—while they remain in the hospital or shortly after their release.  It is as important to the healing process as the hospital stay itself.

Anyone can learn acupressure, but most likely this person would be a doula, massage therapist, midwife, or birth partner. Acupressure has been shown to decrease pain during labor. Neurologically, the brain can only comprehend one type of sensation at a time. When a woman’s body experiences pain during labor, acupressure will block that pain because it senses a new, more acute sensory experience. Pressure receptors in the brain override pain receptors which lead to a reduction in pain. An example of this phenomenon is the natural instinct to squeeze a stubbed toe – the pressure sensation immediately reduces the pain sensation. Acupressure also helps to decrease anxiety, and reduce the likelihood of interventions during a birth. It truly supports a woman in having her best possible birth experience.

Schedule your pre-birth acupuncture session today and learn the most commonly used acupressure point.

Our health food and grocery stores shelves are lined with many different supplements and medicines – trying to determine what to take can be overwhelming.  There are many choices that extend beyond the supplement aisle!   There is much to learn about the food universe – even plants, herbs and spices have medicinal benefits! 

Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil. Essential oils are the oil of a plant from which it is extracted from.  The usually carry a specific scent or “essence” of the plant.   When used topically, tea tree oil is thought to have anti viral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial benefits.  To this end, tea tree oil can be very helpful in treating fungal infections (athlete’s foot), acne, dandruff (when added to shampoo), and yeast infections.  I experienced the benefits of Tea Tree Oil personally during a recent beach trip.  My legs were bitten over 100 times by sand flees and I found recently found the topical application of tea tree oil to be very effective in reducing itching and swelling.  Tea Tree Oil is also good for inflammation and as an assistant in recovering from injury.

Turmeric , a spice (often used in curry) has  widespread use in preventative medicine. According to the American Cancer Society, “Some proponents believe turmeric may prevent and slow the growth of a number of types of cancer, particularly tumors of the esophagus, mouth, intestines, stomach, breast, and skin.” Turmeric’s active ingredient is curcumin and both are thought to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.  In addition,  the American Cancer Society’s web site states that “ Early research has suggested that curcumin may help lower “bad” cholesterol, reduce inflammation, help ulcerative colitis, and reduce arthritis symptoms, although more reliable human studies are still needed”. Turmeric can be used liberally in one’s daily diet and can also be taken as a supplement at a dose of 500 mg 1-4 times a day.

Holy Basil is an herb that has its medicinal roots in Ayurvedic Medicine (a traditional style of medicine  native to India).  There are several different types of Basil Plants. In India, the “Tulsi”, or Holy Basil is the most famous.  While Holy Basil has many health benefits, it is best known for treating anxiety by lowering cortisol levels (stress hormones) and balancing stress and emotions.  When sipped as a tea, holy basil is considered a COX-2 inhibitor (natural joint support) and is good for muscles and bones. It also has heart protective qualities and can help move cholesterol out of the body before it is absorbed. Holy Basil can be drank as a tea (1 tsp. dried leaf 3-4 cups a day)  or taken by capsule (300 gms up to 1800 grams a day).

Green Tea   is widely known for its protection and prevention properties against a wide variety of cancers including melanoma, colon, breast and prostate.  Green Tea contains “catechins” a type antioxidant that has been widely studied for its many health benefits. In addition to cancer prevention, Green Tea is known to be cardio protective and, when drank daily, may lower the risk of heart disease. Most studies indicate that at least 4-5 cups of green tea a day are needed to have medicinal benefits.  Green tea extract is also available in capsules and powder  (dosage ranges from 250 mg up to 350 mg 2x-3x daily).

Probiotics are “good” bacteria that work, in part, by enhancing digestion and immune function. They have widespread use in many gastrointestinal disorders.  A wide range of probiotic strains are available.  Yogurt contains probiotic organisms such as acidophilus. Probiotics help to balance the intestinal flora by increasing the existing intestinal microbial population in the digestive tract.  When people take antibiotics, oftentimes the side effects include digestive disturbances. This is because antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria. Live probiotic strains are available in fermented foods,  dairy products and probiotic fortified foods. Because there are so many different probiotic organisms, there is no set dosage. Most probiotics are dosed by the number of live organisms they contain.

Remember, before taking any product is important to work with a health care professional to determine the best dosage.

Most fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices have some medicinal benefit. Garlic, tomatoes, kale and many more can be part of our daily diet!  The next time you visit the grocery store, do so with a new pair of eyes!

PRESS RELEASE

MONICA MAE LEIBSON, DIPL. AC. TEACHES ACUPRESSURE FOR LABOR SUPPORT TO BIRTH DOULAS

Date: Monday May 6, 2013

Time: 7-8:30 PM

Location: Center for the Childbearing Year

Special Guest: Monica Mae Leibson, Dipl. Ac., Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula

Ms. Leibson earned her Masters degree at the Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine (SBCOM), and is a NCCAOM Board Certified Acupuncturist. She focuses on integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine with Reproductive Medicine in her infertility practice.

Through acupuncture and education, Ms. Leibson supports a woman’s body during pregnancy so they are less likely to need induction or medical intervention. She also uses acupuncture and acupressure during birth to relieve pain and assist a smooth birth.

The presentation will include an introduction to acupressure points and demonstration of techniques.

Monica Mae Leibson

Testimonial for Acupressure for Labor Support:

I feel very lucky to have had what I consider to be an ideal home birth experience. I am certain that this is largely because I had the awesome good fortune of having acupressure during labor. My midwives, Monica (my doula), and my husband took turns administering acupressure to me during each contraction for the entire duration of the labor (approximately 9 hours)! During contractions they would apply acupressure and in between contractions we would all take a break. At no point did I experience the pain as being unmanageable. That might sound like an exaggeration, but it was that powerful. Before the birth I had read that acupressure could reduce pain during labor by up to 50% – and I experienced that to be true. I’m so grateful to have known about the option of using acupressure during labor and I want to help spread the word!
-Carey R., Ann Arbor, MI

I experienced this phenomenon firsthand while I was in acupuncture school.  During the first few semesters of school, we were required to take a massage class and practice on our friends.  I was massaging my friend’s calves because she was experiencing leg cramps at night.  During the massage, I was talking to my friends and not really setting my energy or focus on the massage itself; I know now that I was working without intention.   That night, I woke in the middle of the night from horrible cramping in my claves.  I had never experienced that pain before nor have I ever experienced it since that time.  This was how I realized and truly understood the value of intention and focus in giving acupuncture (or any other) treatment.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine – most organ systems have an emotion associated with them.  When someone is angry or irritable, we think of the Liver and how to work to balance the flow of Liver Qi.  Fear is associated with the Kidneys, Grief, the Lungs, Heart - joy,  and the emotion associated with the Spleen is worry.  Since we so often experience many emotions, one can speculate the effect the emotions have on our health.

I want to make a pitch for making friends with our emotions. So often, we try to push our feelings away. This may be done through drugs and alcohol, food and other addictions, exercise or medications. An informal industry has been developed in order to support us in NOT FEELING.  What this ultimately does is add an additional layer to our pain and suffering. We still feel the emotions we don’t want to feel and we self medicate ourselves to get away from the feelings we still feel! Doesn’t make sense!

While I am not proposing that one eliminates – certainly not all at once – the “fixes” we use to get away from our emotions, I am suggesting that, in addition, we try to begin understand our why we are feeling what we are feeling! Many times our emotions provide us with valuable information and we are able to integrate  and heal. Other times, by understanding our emotions, we can work with them and they loose their power and control over us.

There are different ways we can begin to explore our feelings and emotions.  Journaling can be a very effective way to connect emotions.  Journaling can give us insight into the root cause of an emotion which oftentimes, has very little to do with the present moment. Usually, emotions are based on a past experience that is triggered by the present moment.  Breathing is another way to explore our emotions.  Gentle breathing exercises in which we sit quietly and breathe deeply can allow the emotions to be there without feeling overwhelmed.  Meditation is way to sit with our feelings and recognize that the emotions are not us – they are only a part of us. We are NOT our emotions.   Counseling gives us a safe avenue to talk about our emotions with someone else and get them out on the table. Faith and Spirituality are two good (and very personal) ways to work with our emotions.

There is never any one way to stay healthy  balanced and there is no quick fix.  It is usually a combination of tools and techniques that keeps us centered and on track. Making friends with those parts of us we are uncomfortable with is a good way to start!

Legend has it that in ancient China, every family was treated by an acupuncturist on a regular basis.  The families would STOP paying the acupuncturist once a person became sick because the acupuncturist was NOT doing his job!  (Today, we only visit our physicians once we become ill!)  Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views the body in terms of energy and balance.  Energy courses through the body in channels that are named after organs.  These organs have the same names as traditional Western medicine but the function are very different.  When energy becomes out of balanced or disorganized, disease begins to present itself.  Therefore, it is necessary to check in with the body’s energy on a regular basis to ensure that all aspects remain in balance.  The purpose of acupuncture is to guide minor imbalances back into order.  For example, many people do not consider a little insomnia to be cause for concern.  However, if the insomnia continues over time (even if it is only the ability to get 6 hours of sleep per night) is a sign that energy is beginning to go awry.  The earlier these small “problems” are address, the less likely they are to spiral out of control and affect other body systems!

The acupuncturist facilitates this process by asking a long series of questions about the patient’s general health.  Many of our patients come for one specific problem but are asked about all aspects of their health–from sleep habit to bowel movements.  The answers to these questions are clues for the acupuncturist as to which energy channels are involved.  To confirm the diagnosis, the acupuncturist feels the radial pulses and look at the tongue.  The pulse is felt in three different positions on each side.  Each position corresponds with a different energetic channel and the acupuncturist is feeling for the quality of the pulse—wiry, weak, wide, etc.  The quality of the pulse indicates the strength or weakness of energy in each channel.  The tongue is also diagnostic.  Different areas of the tongue correspond with different organs and in this case, the acupuncturist is looking at the color, tongue coating, shape and movement of the tongue.  For many people, it is exciting to see the changes in the tongue as a measure of their progress with acupuncture treatment.

In treating patients preventatively, the treatment course usually involves acupuncture treatments every 4-6 weeks.  We always ask our patients to call us sooner if they are feeling a little “off” or are going through a period of higher stress.  Of course, TCM treatment involves much more than just monthly acupuncture sessions.  Once a person understands their unique energetic tendencies, it is important to adopt lifestyle choices that support balance.  Diet and exercise practices in particular are important to maintain on a daily basis to support the work from acupuncture sessions.

Curious to try a session?  Give us a call at (248) 737-7126.

For the past 10 years I have been working in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  TCM looks at our body (and our world) from a viewpoint of balance. It is the goal of TCM to support our body in achieving a healthy state of balance.  Balance does not mean perfection.  We are conditioned to think of the perfect body as the images that we see in the media. In TCM, balance means a harmonious way of feeling, being and thinking.  Everybody (and body) has their own natural state of balance and every body’s balance is different. My balance is different than your balance. I remember once, in my early days of acupuncture school, some of the senior students telling me that, after learning about TCM, I would “never look at my body the same way”. And they were right.

TCM offers a very holistic and objective way to look at our body. This analogy is called the eight perimeters. The eight perimeters are just that – perimeters for us to look at our body and where we might be out of balance.  When our body is in a state of balance, we feel good. By making comparisons, we determine areas in our body that we may need to strengthen as well as areas in our body that we can “let some steam out”.

The first of these perimeters is to differentiate between deficiency vs. excess.  Certain symptoms in our body we may consider deficient. These include feeling fatigued, lethargic, difficulty taking off excess weight, feeling cold.  Other symptoms may be considered excess. These can include irritability, headaches, pain, and insomnia.  By paying attention to how our body feels on a day to day basis, we can begin understand areas we need to strengthen and areas we need to reduce.

The second differentiation is hot vs. cold.  Some women in midlife feel hot all the time. They may have hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. Other heat signs may include high blood pressure, irritability and being short fused.  Other women in midlife may feel cold, have a lowered sexual drive and urinate frequently and during the night. Oftentimes we can vacillate between the two.

The third differentiation is interior (inside) vs. exterior (outside). I like to use this differentiation within myself to see if how I think about myself on the outside (fat, thin, ugly, attractive)  is the same as  how I am feeling on the inside. For example, I may have eaten a late meal and feel bloated the next day.  In these situations, I may find myself (though less and less) not feeling good about how I look. As women, we are pressured to focus on how we feel and look on the outside without the emphasis on how we may feel on the inside. We also don’t realize the consequences. We don’t pay attention to signals our body may be telling us when we are not feeling right. We may overly focus on how we feel on the outside and ignore important health symptoms that are signaling us on the inside. We have lost that sense of balance

The last differentiation is the familiar differentiation between yin and yang.  Yin and yang symbolizes balance. Yin and yang is the most general of all the differentiations and can also be considered a summary of the others. Using the principles of yin and yang can help us understand where our body is out of balance and what we can do to get our body in a healthy state of balance.  For example, we may be feeling cold, fatigued and have difficulty loosing weight.  These symptoms tend to be yang (or cold) symptoms. We could also be hot, experience vaginal dryness and have dry skin. These symptoms tend to be yin symptoms. We may be too hard on ourselves or we may let ourselves get away with too much. We may dwell on the negative and not focus enough on the positive.  We may be influenced too much by the outer world without strengthening and building our inner world.

As a woman who is the magic of her midlife, I know the importance of understanding where my body, mind and spirit is out of balance and work diligently to find that place if balance within myself. I rely less and less on the influences of the outer world and more on the influences of TCM and my inner knowing about what is best for me. I encourage you to do the same.

However, observing each patient as a whole individual is another important clue in creating a diagnosis and treatment plan.  In addition to the aforementioned techniques, we need to observe the patient’s eyes, voice, demeanor and body type.  Although each person doesn’t necessarily fit into a perfect pattern, there is a theory within TCM that views individual body types into specific categories.  These categories are based upon the “5 element” principal within TCM—fire, earth, metal, water and wood.  Each element does NOT define who we are as people, but it does give us a clue as to certain tendencies in terms of emotions and where pathologies are more likely to arise.  For example, if someone is a “wood” type, they are more likely to have pathologies arising from the wood element (liver channel). 

Here is an overview of the different elements and their characterizations:

Wood (Liver): Small head, long face, broad shoulders, tall with small hands and feet

Fire (Heart): Red complexion, wide teeth, curly hair OR little hair, tendency to walk briskly

Earth (Spleen): Yellowish complexion, round face, wide jaw, large abdomen, well-defined muscles

Metal (Lung): Pale complexion, square face, small shoulders, flat abdomen and strong voice

Water (Kidney): Dark complexion, wrinkly skin, large head, large abdomen, long spine

 Which element are you?