Let us help you stay healthy for the holidays!From now until January 31, 2010, Existing Patients can enjoy $10.00 ALL TREATMENTS!.. Click HERE for your Special Holiday Bonus Coupon!ALSO....FOR NEW PATIENTS..WE ARE EXTENDING OUR SPECIAL $20.00 OFF OFFER. Please see below for details!
Can You Use $20.00
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Bring the coupon in this Newsletter to Ballantyne Acupuncture and Receive $20.00 OFF your First Visit.
Already a Patient? Please pass this Gift of Good Health along to a friend, co-worker, or family member.
and Remember..
We also have Gift Certificates Available.
 Dr. Wang invites you to read his patient testimonials!
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November 2010
Wang's Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic. Welcome to our November Issue! |
Greetings!
Welcome to our November Newsletter. It is our objective to bring you interesting and informative articles on topics that we frequently address at our practice.
We hope you will enjoy these articles and pass them along to anyone you believe might also be interested in learning more about Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Please enjoy reading,
Dr. Jeffrey Wang, DOM (NM), and Dr. Mary Ren, DOM (NM)
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INSOMNIA
We can help you get a good night's sleep!
Getting good night's rest is one of the best pieces of health advice you can follow. But what if sleeping well is a challenge for you? When insomnia persists more than one or two nights and becomes chronic insomnia, most people turn to the use of sleep aids such as Trazadone or Ambien. While these pharmaceuticals can be effective for insomnia, they often develop into dependencies and can cause unwanted side-effects. Fortunately, chronic insomnia can be treated effectively with acupuncture! Acupuncture is a side-effect free, non-dependent, natural cure for insomnia!
There are many possible causes for your insomnia. The physiology of insomnia according to Oriental Medicine can be complex, but the simplest explanation is that good sleep requires two factors: proper transition of Yang and Yin energy with the change from day to night, and proper functioning of your blood to house your Spirit.
The Yang energy circulates through the Yang areas of your body during the day keeping your mind active. At night, this Yang energy should return to the Yin areas of your body, deeper and lower in your body. If the Yang energy stays in the Yang areas of your brain and eyes, these parts will continue to be energized and prevent you from falling asleep leading to insomnia.
In Chinese Medicine physiology, your Blood is the residence of the Spirit, or Shen. If the Blood cannot support the Shen at night, the Shen wanders upwards in your mind causing insomnia. The Blood is produced by the Spleen and stored by the Liver. If either of these organs is in disharmony, the quality of the Blood will be weak, and unable to house the Shen.
How Can Acupuncture Help Insomnia?
Let's first look at the possible types of insomnia treated by acupuncture, and understand why they occur. Knowing what type of insomnia you are experiencing can help your Acupuncturist provide the most effective treatment for you.- I have difficultly falling asleep: The Yang Qi cannot enter the Yin areas of the body leading to insomnia.
- I wake up often during the night: Internal heat is stuck in the body causing insomnia.
- I wake up early and can't go back to sleep: Poor lifestyle may have damaged your Kidney Yin energy. Heat from Kidney Deficiency is rising up causing insomnia.
- I have excessive dreaming during sleep: The brain doesn't quiet down and it is difficult to relax due to Liver deficiency Heat or Heart Fire causing insomnia.
- I can't sleep at all: Not enough Blood due to either Spleen or Liver deficiency causing insomnia.
When you receive an acupuncture treatment, your nervous system begins to calm down. The acupuncture needles are doing deep work by unraveling your subconscious stresses, balancing your Qi, and releasing the causes of your insomnia. You may even fall asleep on the treatment table.
You should sleep the best the first night after an acupuncture treatment; It usually takes several acupuncture treatments to fully resolve chronic insomnia.
Helpful Tips for Good Sleep
As evening comes, the day transitions from Yang to Yin; you too should adjust your behavior to improve your sleep and prevent insomnia. Try these helpful home remedy tips to assist your acupuncture insomnia treatment:
Quiet the Mind: try breathing exercises, meditation, and other forms of relaxation to help your insomnia.
Diet: avoid spicy food, meats, large meals, alcohol, and caffeine near bedtime as these all create internal heat in your body. Try calming herbal teas. Eating Gou Qi Zi (wolf berries) at night can also help insomnia.
Exercise: vigorous exercise is best in the morning, not at night. Stick to relaxing stretches in the evening that unravel your stress avoiding insomnia.
Work: mental work is best completed during the day. Excessive thinking at night can over-stimulate your mind causing insomnia.
Warm Food Bath: soaking your feet in warm water at night will assist in bringing you Yang Qi down to the Yin areas of your body preventing insomnia.
Cure Your Insomnia!
Insomnia is one of the top reasons people seek acupuncture. Often, patients come to an acupuncturist reporting insomnia because they are disconnected from other emotional issues they are facing. These repressed emotions can often surface as insomnia, anxiety, or mild depression. As the stresses of modern life take their toll, our minds can no longer relax and our sleep becomes disturbed.
Please contact us at 704.968.0351 for a comprehensive evaluation.
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Acupuncture for the treatment of Migraine Headache
Can acupuncture and Chinese medicine treat migraine headaches? This is one of the most frequent questions I am asked. The person asking either is a sufferer or is asking because someone they know suffers, and either way they are all too familiar with the agony associated with migraines.
 While certain headaches are triggered by stress, migraines can be set off by a variety of triggers, including certain foods, missing a meal, dehydration, alcohol, scents and smells, sleep disruptions, stress and strong emotions, hormones, changes in barometric pressure, and bright sunlight.
One of the best ways to determine the cause of what is triggering your headaches is to keep a diary or journal looking for patterns. Include items like when your headaches occur, what you were doing, possible factors that might have triggered the headache, and what you ate in the several hours before the onset of your headache.
Typically, migraines tend to move through stages. However, many sufferers don't have all the stages. For some, the early stages may not progress into a headache, or the stages may differ with each headache. The stages include:
1. Prodrome. Several hours to a day prior to the headache, you may feel fatigued, uneasy, moody, or crave certain foods.
2. Aura. Vision problems, flashing lights, blind spots, a sense of confusion and even difficulty speaking may occur up to an hour before the onset of a headache.
3. The Main Event. This is the headache itself, which can be severe and affect one or both sides of your head. You may experience other symptoms, like nausea, sensitivity to light, sounds, or smells. This stage may last for hours or days.
4. Postdrome. Once the headache is over, you may feel pretty beat-tired, washed out, or achy.
In Chinese medicine, there are a number of patterns associated with migraine headaches, and require careful diagnosis by a licensed practitioner to be effectively treated (Yes, Chinese medicine can treat your migraines!). There are a couple of patterns in Chinese medicine that are commonly diagnosed in people who have migraines.
The first pattern is associated with your Chinese Liver, which is the organ system that's responsible for the smooth flow of everything in your body. In a perfect world, the Qi (energy) in your energetic pathways move slowly and consistently upward, much like the rising of sap in a healthy tree. (Your Liver is associated with the element of wood in Chinese medicine.) While there are a variety of triggers, a Liver headache is frequently set off by strong emotions, anger, or stress. When you get a migraine according to this pattern, there is an uncontrolled rushing upward of Liver energy, which stagnates in your head, causing your headache. This kind of headache is typically severe and frequently one-sided.
This kind of headache can be associated with heat symptoms like thirst, insomnia, irritability, and feeling hot or feverish. Throw in a little nausea, maybe some dizziness, and you've got a whopper.
A second common pattern associated with migraines is that of Blood stasis (or stagnation of Blood). What this means in terms of Chinese medicine is that Blood is not flowing smoothly, and this "blockage" is causing your headache.
A combination of acupuncture, herbal treatment, food therapy and lifestyle change may all be used to treat migraine headache.
If you suffer from migraine headache, I would like to hear from you!
Please contact us at 704.968.0351 for an evaluation. |
 Stress in the Workplace?
Stress may be experienced as a result of exposure to a wide range of demands and if left unchecked it can have an enormous impact on your health. It is estimated that a total of 12.8 million working days were lost in the workplace during 2007 to stress, depression and anxiety. Work-related stress accounts for over a third of all new incidences of ill health.
Stress can be caused by any number of things, including family, relationships and financial concerns. This is sometimes exacerbated at this festive time of year, when the focus on parties and presents can bring problems sharply in to focus. Links between stress and poor health include high blood pressure, allergies, migraines and depression. In extreme cases it can cause psychological problems such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Cumulative Stress Disorder.
How can acupuncture help?
Traditional Chinese philosophy states that our health is dependent on the body's motivating energy, known as qi, moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin. Stress, anger, or any intense emotion acts like a traffic jam, blocking the free flow of energy in the body. Many people who are very stressed experience upper back, shoulder and neck pain. This is because stress causes the 'snarling up' of the energy passing through channels in these areas causing pain, tension and stiffness - often resulting in headaches as well.
 Through acupuncture, these energy blockages can be addressed. Acupuncture can help energy flow smoothly, and alleviate not only the symptoms of stress and anxiety, but the stress and anxiety itself. In addition, acupuncture improves circulation of blood throughout the body. The calming nature of acupuncture also helps decrease heart rate, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles.
Acupuncture can help by:- reducing risk of further health implications
- reducing the number of sick days taken
- offering an effective preventative treatment for stress
- making stress easier to handle
If you are experiencing issues relating to stress and anxiety please contact Dr. Wang at 704.968.0351 for a consultation.
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