Photo by geraldbrazell

In the spirit of Traditional Chinese Medicine, fall is the time of the Lung, which means that our lungs and skin are more likely to have problems at this time of the year, such as eczema, psoriasis, and cough, colds and flu. Each season has a feeling associated with it, and the Lung organ is Grief. But instead of mourning the loss of summer and light with the arrival of fall, check in with the smells of this unique and beautiful season change. Chinese medicine encourages living with the seasons, eating the foods that are in abundance in certain months, and allowing your body to follow the natural rhythm of the year. You have hopefully energized yourself with plenty of sun these past few months, and now that the winds are returning, it’s time to start dressing a warmer, eat nourishing foods, drinking plenty of fresh water, and get enough sleep.

Fall in TCM is also the time of dryness, which we can see all around us in the trees- the leaves are turning colors because they are drying out and falling off the tree. The lung is a delicate organ that many of us take for granted by smoking or inhaling toxic chemicals. Eating pears, soups, stews, and foods that will keep your lungs warm and moist are a good way to keep healthy. Yoga, stretching, and taking walks in the beautiful colors that autumn has to offer are also good ways to ease into fall.

-For a thoughtful post on how to keep healthy this fall season, read this site for tips on how to stay your healthiest in these fall months.

-Go to WellWire.com to check out articles on skin health by Gibran Ramos, ND, MSOM, and a recipe for fighting the flu by Dr. Nishant Rao.

Have a wonderful fall!

The Portland Women’s Show is coming to town this weekend- Friday and Saturday from 10-6, and Sunday from 10-5.

There’s something for everyone! There will be booths for women of all ages, space for kids, and a Relaxation Station(including a foot massage!). There will be several health care practitioners at the show, and you can sample an acupuncture treatment and have a stress test or blood pressure reading. Several stages will have cooking demonstrations, and there will be lectures and seminars from local practitioners.

Dr. Igor Schwartzman and myself will be representing Whole Family Wellness Center- come down and say hello!

Traditional Chinese Medicine discussed on Portland radio!

Photo by amy_b

Regina Dehen, ND, LAc a naturopathic physician, acupuncture practitioner, and instructor at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Regina is a wealth of information and and incredible instructor, as you will see when you listen to the whole interview.  Regina and Ted Douglass discuss what TCM is, Chinese Medicine in research, and how it all works together in the Western world today.

There are two parts to the interview, so be sure to scroll down to the “Oregon College of Chinese Medicine” inside the Metroscope box and listen to both!

Happy Oriental Medicine Day on Saturday!

Hug an acupuncturist, or try a delicious (?) Chinese herbal tea! They taste odd, but are oh-so helpful for the body.

If you are fortunate enough to live in Portland, Oregon (my beloved city), then get out there and take a look at the massive acupuncture needle in our beautiful, if not a slightly damp city!

According to Acupuncture Today, the informative new source for all things acupuncture,

October 24, 2002 marked the first annual observance of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day. Conceived of as part of a national campaign to educate the public about the benefits of acupuncture and other forms of Asian healing, many of the leading national acupuncture and Oriental medicine member associations, research organizations and educational institutions lent their support to AOM Day, in the form of open houses; lectures and demonstrations; free acupuncture treatments; and educational seminars.

A lot of cities are signed up with special rates on Saturday as well as other events- check out the homepage for the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine site, and don’t forget to check out the Acupuncture Today article that lists schools around the country that are celebrating National AOM day in style!

We should celebrate this day as a time when we are able to choose what we want in terms of our own healthcare, and take matters into our own hands by using preventative medicine. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, naturopathic medicine, massage, reiki, and all of the other wonderful techniques are treatments that do so much more than “fix us.” They heal us!

I still remember my personal experience with acupuncture – which is the reason I practice this amazing medicine. I was living in South Korea, where the pollution was so bad you could see and taste it! I was taking extra medications to try to control my  allergy symptoms and wheezing, but it wasn’t enough. Just as I was about to throw in the towel and leave, a family member suggested acupuncture. So I walked into the nearest clinic where no one spoke English (and my Korean was very poor), but doctor was surprised to see a foreigner but was very nice. He patted my arm and said “it’s okay!” He then felt my pulse, looked at my tongue, then gave me my first acupuncture treatment. It  was incredible- I still remember how much better I felt after that first treatment, and went back three times a week for four months. By the end of that treatment regime, I was off all of the medications, and was feeling great. I’ve been a firm believer in this medicine ever since, and started school at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine two weeks after we arrived home.

See what you can find in your city at the sites listed above, and enjoy the day!

Photo by Ana Santos

Stress. It’s around us all the time, whether it’s you who is the stressed, or everyone around you. Stress comes in many forms- such as work, family, hormonal changes, illness, and major life changes. While some of these changes may be positive, the stress of them interferes with your health and happiness. Having a new baby, changing to a better job, moving to a better place are all good changes, but are still stressful!

In Traditional Chinese medicine theory, stress affects the flow of energy and eventually blood flow within the body, which causes stagnation. This stagnation needs to be moved to create a stress-free environment. Many people feel immediately better after an acupuncture treatment, and are able to carry that effect over by receiving weekly acupuncture treatments.

Some common symptoms of stress

1. anger or irritability
2. insomnia
3. irregular menstrual cycle, including PMS, irritability, bloating and breast distention
4. headaches (these can be tension or migraine)
5. gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea, constipation or a combination of the two, as in IBS)

How to Manage Stress

Acupuncture- by using very small needles at specific acupoints to move energy and blood, acupuncture releases endorphins within the brain. This has a very relaxing effect on the body, and many patients fall asleep while the needles are in!

Herbal Medicine helps manage stress and control the symptoms of stress within the body. Personalized herbal formulas in granule or capsule form can help with your symptoms effectively. Herbal medicine can be used alone, but it works best when combined with acupuncture treatments.

Exercise- Regular exercise 5-6 days per week help to move the energy in the body. Even a 30 minute walk will do the trick.

Relaxing- Learning deep breathing techniques, taking a meditation or Qigong class will help you deal with stress more effectively.

Diet and food: Try to avoid fried or greasy foods, pastries, white bread, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine (whew!). Choose an assortment of veggies, whole grains, and drink plenty of water.

Photo by Unfurled

Pregnant Belly by kellyandapril

When the words “It’s time!” are spoken by a pregnant woman, panic will often follow. But it doesn’t necessarily have to! That is, if the baby decides to take a little time for the mother to be where she planned….

The ideal situation for an expectant mother is to make a birth plan, and to then be able to let her plan unfold completely. But babies don’t always know our plans, and they sometimes have a sweet little agenda of their own.  There are some great websites for you to check out if you are looking for some advice on a birth plan, or are still deciding how you would like to deliver your baby.

A new site to check in with regularly is Natural Baby Pros. They also have a great article for the birth plan called ” The Essential Birth Plan,” which discusses things you may not have thought of, like epidurals, pitocin drips, and Hepatitis B Vaccines. Go to the site to read more about why they bring these topics up for parents-to-be.

My Best Birth is a site where women can share their birth experiences, read about other births, and join discussion forums.  They also have a link to a movie called “The Business of Being Born.“ This is definitely a movie to watch if you are seriously considering a homebirth. The film follows a midwife through several pregnancies and homebirth, and details the interesting (if not horrifying) history of birthing.

If you are considering a homebirth but want a little more information on the statistics, check out the result of this study from Birthing Spirit. The study found that birth at home with a midwife was as safe as birth in hospital and homebirth was associated with fewer adverse outcomes for mothers and babies! Two books that divulge first-hand experience and advice about homebirth are: Ina May Gaskins “Spiritual Midwifery,” and Peggy Vincent’s “Baby Catcher.” I found both of these books to be incredibly empowering in terms of women who had many successful homebirths.

Lucky for those of us in Portland, we have Birthingway, where midwives learn their skills. Choosing midwife (or an obstetrician) is a decision that should be given careful thought. Interviewing is a great way to see if you will be able to feel comfortable with a practitioner, and if they will be able to meet your needs. Also, if you decide to have an acupuncture practitioner to help with labor, it’s also a good idea to set up an appointment and see how you feel about using needles during labor.

-The Birth of an eco-mom- the story of a mother who, after the birth of her third child, realized that she needed to become a little more “green” to make a difference in the world of her children. Very inspiring!

Happy Birth-day :)

Sleep Like A Baby by peasap

I wasn’t planning to write a post about the flu, but the H1N1 ’situation’ is still around, and I wanted to spread some of the good information I’ve been looking into. The H1N1 flu (we’ll just call it “the flu”) has a lot of people talking and a good deal of media coverage (EVERWHERE!).

Now that school has started up again, parents are worried about having their kids exposed to thousands of colds and sniffles, and the hype of the flu is lingering into the fall and winter seasons. UrbanMamas blog has a good discussion going about kids and the flu- check it out if you have little ones in school. It’s hard to decide if a vaccine is in your future or not. Regardless, it’s best to get as much information about options before you make that decision.

Chinese Medicine: Natural approaches are great and effective options to combat influenza- there are very powerful herbs we use to treat the symptoms. Herbs are being used all over China to treat the symptoms of the flu with great success!

A good list of formulas listed on this site are:

• Gan Mao Ling: This is definitely one of the most widely utilized Chinese patents to treat flu related fatigue, headaches, sore throats, swollen lymph glands, high fever, chills, and back and neck aches.
• Yin Qiao: In a very similar fashion to Gan Mao Ling, Yin Chiao is generally prescribed for the same set of flu symptoms.
• Zhong Gan Ling: This medicine is indicated for more severe conditions such as sudden, high fevers with sore throats and coughing, swollen lymph nodes, aching limbs and headaches.
• Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Wan(Correct the Qi Pills): Primarily prescribed for stomach flus with digestive difficulties of diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea and for chills, fever and headaches.
• Yu Ping Feng Wan (Jade Screen Pills): This medicine is prescribed primarily for insufficient immune system in the presence of frequent colds and flu, sore throat, swollen face, sinus congestion and inflammation, and sinus pain headaches.

Depending on your symptoms, the practitioner may make you an individualized formula if you are experiencing a combination of these symptoms.

Vaccines: It’s completely your choice if you choose to get the vaccine- every individual has their right to choose. But I am a firm believer in knowing the facts and researching what our options are. Liz Richards, LAc of Blossom Clinic posted a note about pregnancy and the H1N1 vaccine for expectant mothers concerned with mercury in the vaccines. Liz clarifies that the single dose does not contain mercury, but the 10 vial dose does. She also has a link to a video about the vaccine.

Prevention: Treat the swine flu as you would treat the regular ol’ flu, which means you must take care of yourself!!

Here is a good list of strategies to prevent spreading sickness from Dr. Lorne Brown of Acubalance:

• wash your hand frequently
• avoid sugary foods
• get adequate sleep
• reduce alcohol
• eat a whole foods, mostly plant based diet
• reduce stress

Nutrition: WellWire.com posted a delicious recipe for an immune-boosting soup- I’m definitely making this tonight! Remember to drink plenty of clean water, and eat lots of garlic and ginger!

Anti H1N1 Soup for 2

1 handful dry shiitake mushrooms, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced, 1 onion thinly sliced, 1 small piece ginger thinly sliced, 3 cups pork stock (lol kidding, this is hard to find – any stock will do), 4 glugs of sake, 2 spring onions.

Soak the mushrooms in boiling water until tender.  Remove the soaking liquid.  Saute the mushrooms, onions and garlic in a tablespoon of oil until tender but not browned.  Add the stock and the ginger and simmer on low heat for about ten minutes. Season to taste and just before serving add the sake and spring onions.

Whatever route you choose is up to you. Just make sure you have all of the correct information before you take action.

Stay healthy!

(Photo by kozumel)

The practitioners for the Acupuncture Relief Project Leave for Nepal this Saturday!

We are busy checking last minute arrangements and packing our bags for Nepal. Team A leaves Saturday September 26th and our clinic in Chapagoan will begin treating patients again on October 4th. Please stay tuned for updates and stories of our progress.

In the meantime please enjoy this short “kick off” documentary. If you appreciate the work we are doing please forward this video to your colleagues, friends and family. Please ask them to sign up for our news blog at http://www.acupuncturereliefproject.org

Safe travels to the group- we look forward to hearing about your journey!

Marathon Runners by Justin S. Campbell

The Northwest edition of Competitor Magazine has a great article in the September edition about the use of natural medicine for athletes. Endurance athletes in the Northwest region are discovering the benefits of using Chinese medicine along with naturopathic care to heal injuries that have already occured, and prevent more from happening.

Although it is often referred to as “new” medicine, natural medicine predates Western approaches to health care. It draws it’s roots from ancient China (herbal remedies, acupuncture) and Greece (hydrotherapy). The focus of the medicine is to remove obstacles that detract from one’ health. There is no cookie-cutter approach to this medicine.

While many people must pay out of pocket for these treatments, the financial restraints, especially in the depressed economy, often outweigh the health benefits of natural health practices- even though in the long run, natural medicine is less expensive because of the focus on preventing illness and injury.

Well stated. Prevention is the key to staying healthy, fit and running, cycling, or walking through life injury-free. It is worth it in the long run to keep yourself healthy and happy!

Some events in Oregon that boast natural medicine are:

-Cycle Oregon, the yearly week-long bike ride, has it’s own massage team! The Cycle Oregon Massage Team worked last week to help around 2000 cyclists make it through this event. I hear there was even an acupuncture practitioner along for the ride!

-Step Out- the Walk to Fight Diabetes also had massage therapists giving sample treatments after their 1, 3, or 6 mile walk. A lot of people took advantage of it (my 7-year old niece was the spokesperson this year!!)

- I’m sure the Portland Marathon with have a little help from practitioners  of all kinds, too :)

Portland Japanese Garden by Roger Isabell

Allergy season is year round in Portland.

While that is a common joke here in Bridgetown, there really are those who suffer from allergies (especially dust and molds) year round. The use of acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal medicine is best the way to help keep your symptoms under control. While Western medications alleviate the symptoms temporarily, they won’t treat the underlying cause of the allergic reaction, which is what we do with Chinese medicine.

A treatment from an acupuncture practitioner will help open the nasal passages, clear the excess phlegm, and reduce inflammation that causes the allergic reaction. This excessive reaction is not just the inflammatory response of the body to a foreign object (such as pollen), but also a weakened Lung, Spleen and Kidney organ system. Acupuncture strengthens these organ systems, which in turn helps the body react appropriately to the foreign object.

Common allergy symptoms may include:
-Runny nose
-Nasal itching
-Wheezing
-Red, watery eyes
-Skin irritation (rashes, itchy skin)

An ideal treatment plan for year-round acute allergies is treatments twice a week, and after the symptoms are under control the treatments may be stretched to every other week. Everyone reacts differently to the treatments, and you need to give it time (Trust me- this is what got me into acupuncture in the first place)! If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you will need treatment before the your “season” begins. For example, if you suffer from hayfever in the spring, start your treatments in January to help with symptom relief before the sneezing begins.

So if you are one of those who suffers from allergies when the rains begin, call your practitioner now, or find one on acufinder.com. Also, check out Dr. Nishant Rao’s post at Wellwire.com for helpful tips on how to prevent seasonal allergies.