Author: austinacupuncturejason

Live Life Like an Emperor in 2019

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Through the years, many people have asked me how I got interested in acupuncture. “Jason, what made you think about getting into this kind of work?” they’d ask. If you have been one of those people, you’ll probably remember me saying something like “I guess I just watched too many Kung-Fu movies growing up”.

The strange this is, that’s not too far from the truth. Since I was a kid, I loved the mysterious allure of the Far East. Watching movies like “Shogun” and “Big Trouble in Little China” and “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” left me with a sense of fascination as to how that part of the world had such a well developed society which stood the test of time for thousands of years. I was fascinated by why the sacred mountains of Hua Shan were home to people whom the locals considered “Immortals”. I also wanted to live to be 130 years old! I was fascinated by the question…

“HOW CAN I LIVE LIFE LIKE AN EMPEROR!!!”

But enough about me. What about you.

Wouldn’t you also like to live the long and healthy life of an Emperor or Empress? Historians tell us that back during the “Middle Ages” of 500-1500, when all Europeans only lived 30 or so years, the Chinese aristocracy historically died at an average age of 65! Double the lifespan of their Europeans counterparts.

So what was their secret? Well, as much as I would love to compare the history of medicine in the two regions (that would take several hours and dozens of pages), suffice it to say that the Chinese lucked out to find some of the keys to true health and longevity.

  1. Eat well. Eating a healthy diet of fresh and varied ingredients. Unfortunately, few of us have a kitchen staff to prepare our healthy meals as the emperors did, so we must take the time ourselves to take care of this very important pillar of good health.
  2. Get some exercise. Move and get the blood flowing each and every day. Circulating blood is the only way to nourish and vitalize each and every minute part of our body. The ancient Chinese also realized the importance of exercising your internal organs as well as your external muscles. Today, we can all learn simple exercises that strengthen and improve the function of organs such as the liver, spleen and kidneys. Exercises such as Tai-Chi, Meditation, Qi Gong or Yoga can do this.
  3. Enjoy the simple pleasures in life. All work and no play always leads to a shortened life. Smell the flowers. Play with the children in the back yard. Watch the clouds drift by. Sit and pet the fluffy baby bunnies. Meditate. Snuggle with a loved one & have more sex. Enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
  4. Take Herbs. The Imperial Court recruited the empires best and brightest physicians and kept the very best medicines secret for the imperial court. Today, all of us can benefit from that herbal medical knowledge that was kept secret for millennia. The Chinese are still famous for their exotic elixirs which improve energy, longevity and vitality. The Chinese now commonly use over 20,000 natural substances and foods that can be used as medicine.
  5. Get Acupuncture regularly. The history of acupuncture and the Imperial Court go hand-in-hand; The “Yellow Emperor” Huang Di is credited for writing the oldest still existing book on acupuncture, 3000 years ago. Since the book is so complete, historians believe that acupuncture was in development long before that. The Emperors and his court would utilize acupuncture, not only for health problems, but also to strengthen the body and improve function in all aspects; on the battlefield, in the throne room and even in the bed room (Emperors were known for having hundreds of wives and children).

As you see, the idea of leading a “stress free live” is not on the list. How in the world could a leader of millions of subjects and billions of square miles at constant war lead a stress-free life?!? Impossible.

The key was to bolster up their emotional, physical and mental fortitude so that they could stand in the middle of that whirlwind as still be at peace and think clearly.

What is wonderful is that now we know these secrets of the emperors who lived so long and vitally. So now we can all emulate these behaviors and live just as healthy as the Emperors! “So what benefits could I expect from living the emperor lifestyle?” I’m glad you asked…

  • You would have more Energy.
  • You would Sleep Better and awaken feeling well rested.
  • You’d have much less aches and pains for the rest of your life.
  • You’d experience better athletic performance, whether it’s on the golf course, tennis court or just horsing around with the grandkids on the living room floor.
  • You would have less cold, flu’s and other infections such as shingles, because your immune system would be stronger than anyone you know.
  • You would be sure to see clearer and have sharper thinking; No more brain fog and no more unproductive constant worrying.

The problem is that all of us have been brought up NOT living this lifestyle of good health as the Emperors did. So we have some “catching up” to do.

We have some “Imperial Rehab” to do.

What I would recommend to anyone who would like to join me in 2019 on this journey of better health is to start doing those things on that list above. Three of the five things are free to do, while the final two things you could learn to do yourself if you wanted. Medicinal herbs can literally be grown right in your back yard once you know what to grow. And you can send your significant other to college to learn how to do acupuncture on you for free.

Since those last two things take years to learn, I would love to be the one who joins you on this journey in the meantime. I can help with those two important pillars of good health to lead your body back to a healthy balance with herbs and acupuncture.

Now… everyone is starting from a different starting line. Many of you may need only an occasional tweak, while others may be in dire need of a complete overhaul. Since you know better than me how well you respond, I leave it up to you to decide what frequency coming in works best for you. Although I run the risk of sounding like a “used car salesman”; I would however venture a guess that you will need a lot of acupuncture and for a long time, just to get your body back into healthy shape.

That’s why I have created the “Emperors Plan” for those of you who are serious about taking control of your health and determined to regain that good health that’s been lost over the years. The “Emperors Plan” is a kick start of 12 sessions of acupuncture. By purchasing the “Emperors Plan at $489, you’re saving $75 dollars.

The “Emperors Plan” is for the True Aficionados’ of Acupuncture.

So call today to schedule your appointment. Life is so short; and it passes all of us by so very fast. There really is no time to loose. One more day of feeling like crap is just another day lost! Call today and I promise that when we get together, I will do everything I can to make you feel well and healthy as quickly as possible.

-Jason–       

 

P.S. I know its a lot of money, but please remember that good health and prevention is an investment to yourself and to your loved ones. I always suggest that one compares the cost of acupuncture to what they will spend at a single visit to their doctor. To make it easier to afford good acupuncture, you can spread the cost over several months by putting it on your credit card. Or if need be; you can also split the cost of the “Emperors Plan” into two equal monthly payments of $244.50. But for those of you who prefer to pay the full cost up front with cash, check or credit card, I will knock off an additional $25 bucks making the savings an even $100! So that ends up being $464 for 12 sessions ($38.66 per session).

Grapes Reduce Blood Pressure

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Blood Pressure Too High?
Eating 3 stalks of celery every day has been shown to reduce HBP. But another (more pleasant) food to add is red or purple grapes. Researchers at UConn found that eating 2 cups of grapes daily will reduce your diastolic BP by 6 points. Not bad.

 

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Happy New Years Eve, Eve!

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Happy New Years Eve, Eve! I love fresh beginnings like New Years; they give us the opportunity to take stock of “where we are” and “where we want to go”. No matter how good or bad the previous year has been, we now have a new opportunity to refocus on making the changes in our lives that we wish to see. I wish you and your family the very best for 2019.

Now Is The Moment To Reflect And Plan

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Happy Day After Christmas! It was a fantastic Holiday season, but now is a good time to invite you to sit and reflect about our accomplishments of this past year and take stock of “where we stand” so we can live with more purpose next year.
Because one of the most overlooked aspects of good health is our “legacy”; how do you want people to remember you after you are gone?
Researchers have seen that this actually weighs heavily (if not subtly) on our minds. If we are not living in a way where we are moving towards living our true purpose or accomplishing our heartfelt goals, then our mood and mental health suffer. We find ourselves feeling lost, aimless, depressed, powerless, a bit confused and seeking ways to ‘medicate’ those feeling away.
So over the next few days, I invite you to take some time and reflect on where you “want to go” this next year. What do you want to accomplish and who do you want to become. Determine what must be done to become a better version of yourself… and begin working towards that every day.
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How to live life like an Emperor.

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn MedicineLeave a comment

How a 3000 year old art is quietly revolutionizing modern medicine.

Here in Austin Minnesota, we have the world famous cancer research lab “Hormel Institute”. One particular lab at the institute is currently focused on the investigation of a form of gall bladder cancer called Cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer. A notoriously painful and lethal form of cancer. The people in the lab are doing everything they can to quickly find a cure for this type of cancer and all of the others using the highest technology and modern science available. They just recently published a scientific article looking at the roll of a cell’s “cilia” in cancer. Cilia are the tiny hairs on the outside of a cell. Top scientists in the field from all over the world converge on Austin Minnesota to gather together and solve this problem.

But what if there was another way, besides high tech science to address this problem. What if there were ways to prevent and care for patients who have this and other terrible diseases… even without drugs or surgery or genetic manipulation?

What if there were other, additional ways to tackle this problem that were still scientifically studied and proven approaches to reduce and eliminate a whole plethora of humanities illnesses; using things like diet and herbs and environment and manual therapies and lifestyle management to care for these patients.

There is. There are many investigated and accepted therapies which we all can do to not only treat illness, and not only prevent illness, but also to enhance and optimize our overall health and performance, vitality and wellbeing.

For example; did you know that taking a 15 minute walk in nature improves your immune systems ability to fight off colds and flus? Or that having green plants in a hospital recovery room reduces the need for pain medication after a surgery by 36%? Or that playing a team sport has been found to be THE most effective treatment for moderate anxiety and depression? Far better than any pharmaceutical or talk therapy. Or how about how laughing out loud can immediately lower your blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels and making them more pliable by 22%. Or, finally, did you know that having sex has been found to be the best, most effective therapeutic intervention for passing kidney stones? It is almost twice as effective as standard non-surgical medical treatments (84% effective versus 48%).

Health does not necessarily have to come in a bottle of pills or at the edge of a scalpel. Sometimes it does, for sure, but there are also many things that modern science knows to be effective for so many of our medical conditions. It is time to start rediscovering and incorporating them into our healthcare.

 

Therapies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, in particular, have a 3000 year old track record of continual use. The world’s oldest continually practiced form or medicine. This is the medicine of Emperors and Empresses, concubines, powerful government ministers and warlords. TCM was originally available only to the highest echelons of power and influence… the portion of the population which historically lived twice as long as the general population in ancient China (33 year life expectancy for peasants versus 67 years for the ruling class).

What makes Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) different from modern medicine? One thing is that it looks at each individual as a unique person and bases the treatment off of that; rather than isolate, identify and treat the single dysfunction or symptom… often on a microscopic level.

How would your Imperial physician treat you if you were the emperor or empress today? First they would prescribe exercises and a lifestyle specifically for you. Tennis for you, weightlifting for you… They would prescribe a specific diet suited for your unique constitution. A raw food vegan diet for you, full of fruits and fresh vegetables…. And an all meat carnivore diet for you. Every patient is prescribed a different treatment even if they have the same symptom or disease. This is because of the understanding that the underlying cause of that symptom or illness is different from person to person.

In TCM it is the underlying cause of the illness that is treated, not the superficial symptoms of the illness itself.

From herbs to diet to acupuncture, every patient gets a unique treatment prescribed based on their underlying patterns of illness. There is no “one size fits all”.

This approach is becoming more accepted and embraced by Americans today. Many people are taking charge of their own health by seeking alternatives and complementary approaches to good health. Rather than just wait for an illness or disease to strike, many people are becoming proactive with their lifestyle choices and experimenting to find what lifestyle behaviors fit best for their own personal constitution… even if it mean going against the grain of conventional wisdom (such as in the case of those eating the exact opposite diet recommended by the American Heart Association).

By incorporating this personalized approach to lifestyle behaviors and medical treatment, any person can live life full, like an emperor.

The 24 Seasons

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One of the things I love is how the Chinese view the calendar year. They have historically based their calendar on the cycle of the moon (28 days) rather than the sun (365 days). This makes for some interesting differences between how we see the year and how they see the year.

For instance, did you know that the Chinese view the year as having 5 seasons rather than 4? That’s right; there is an extra 5th season squeezed in between summer and autumn called “late summer”. This is my favorite season of the year because of how everything is ripening and fattening in the garden and the days are hazy and lazy. Its a great time to just sit on the porch and soak in the beautiful weather.

The other interesting thing about how the Chinese view their calendar is that the beginnings of the seasons are shifted just a bit. For example, when December 22nd rolls around (or whatever day the Winter Solstice is), we mark that as the first day of winter. But what the Chinese do is view that as the very middle of winter. The bottom of the trough. From then on, the days are getting longer and we are beginning our climb towards longer days and the warmth of spring.

That is why when everyone else is grumbling about winter coming, I have a cheerier outlook; that we are now finally starting to climb out of the deepest, darkest days of winter and starting our climb back up. for me, I see it as an optimistic thing.

On the flip side, I’m a bit sad on the first day of summer, because I know that the days are starting to get shorter as we slide towards the cold of winter.

Another thing I like is that they recognize 24 distinct mini-seasons. Some of them have rather poetic names and they seem to capture the “feel” of that time of the year. Here is the list of the 24 seasons of the year. The dates are “ball park” because they shift from year to year just a bit. Sort of like how the Winter Solstice is sometimes on the 22nd and sometimes on the 23rd and other years on the 21st, etc.

Oh and remember, their Chinese New Year begins usually around the first week of February.

1. Coming of Spring (Feb 1st- Feb 18th)

2. Rain Water (Feb 19-March 5th)

3. Awakening of the Worms (March 6th-March 20th)

4. Spring Equinox (March 21-April 4th)

5. Clear & Bright (April 5th-April 20th)

6. Grain Rain (April 21st- May 5th)

7. Coming of Spring ( May 6th-May 20th)

8. Small Sprout (May 21st-June 5th)

9. Planting of Thorny Crops (June 6th- June 21st)

10. Summer Solstice (June 22nd- July 6th)

11. Lesser Heat (July 7th-July 22nd)

12. Greater Heat (July 23rd-August 7th)

13. Coming of Autumn (August 8th-August 23rd)

14. Heats End (August 24th-Sept 7th)

15.White Dew (Sept 8th- Sept 22nd)

16. Autumn Equinox (Sept 23rd- October 7th)

17. Cold Dew (October 8th- October 23rd)

18. Frosting (October 24th- November 6th)

19. Coming of Winter (November 7th- November 22nd)

20. Lesser Snow (November 23rd- December 6th)

21. Greater Snow (December 7th- December 21st)

22. Winter Solstice (December 22nd- January 5th)

23. Lesser Cold (January 6th-January 20th)

24. Greater Cold (January 21st-February 3rd)

And that’s it. Hope you found that just as interesting as I did the first time I heard about it. Have a great season and “Happy Cold Dew”. And next week you can wish me a “Happy Frosting” when you see me. I’ll know what you mean. 😉

Jason…

Happy Halloween My Little Monsters!!!

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn Conditions We TreatLeave a comment
  • Are you wandering the night with insomnia like a Vampire?
  • Or maybe dragging around a bum shoulder or dead leg around like a Zombie?
  • Does a Secret Government Biohazard Team need to cordon off the bathroom when your IBS acts up?
  • Perhaps your Brain Fog leaves you feeling like a half dazed Ghoulaimlessly wandering the countryside.

 

skeleton-151170_1280.pngYou can hear that ghastly, mournful wail drifting in from the moors late at night, emitted by patients who now realize how much unnecessary suffering they have gone through by not going to their acupuncturist; wandering off into the hinterlands never to darken the door of polite society again with their monstrously disfigured face; permanently contorted in its visage of regret and mourning for a pain-free life lost.

 

Oh No… Halloween is Almost Here and Can Be Terrifying !!! Especially if You are Struggling with Scary Health Issues!   Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid!!!

Woe to those burdened and cursed with such horrific afflictions!

Because perhaps the scarier thing to realize is that right after Halloween comes the real big holiday season, with lots of parties, family get-togethers, plays, Christmas concerts and the like. And the idea of going to them can be scary if you aren’t up to handling it.

I hear stories all the time from my patients; “I wanted to go to my grandson’s school concert, but I couldn’t imagine sitting through that pain in my leg for a whole hour”. Or “With my sensitive stomach, there is no way I could travel to the Minneapolis to visit my daughter’s family for the holidays.”

Oh my, what a tragic shame! THE HORROR !!!

bat-151366_1280

What is even more tragic is that many people simply accept their ill health as fate and decide there is nothing they can do about it. Ghouls Gore !!! With a few sessions of acupuncture, many of these socially debilitating health issues can easily be resolved!

So I would like to offer you some relief and assurance that this upcoming holiday season (the ones after Halloween) will be fantastic for both you and your family. And since acupuncture typically has such a long lasting effect, why not start now? Come in for a few sessions with me and we’ll get you fixed up in time for the next round of holidays.

  • “Insomnia making it impossible to function, leaving you feeling like a Gelatinous Blob? Gone in 6 sessions!
  • “Crippling back pain leaving you as miserable as Frankenstein’s Monster?” 6-12 sessions to complete relief.
  • “Neck tension and headaches got you walking around stiff as a Mummy?” Usually 3-6 sessions and done.
  • “Hot Flashes making you feel like a nuclear experiment gone wrong?” Relief is only 6-12 sessions away.
  • “Anxiety and depression got you feeling like being a Troll under the bridge?” Start with 6 sessions.

monster-1297726_1280.pngYou see; feeling better could be just a few days away. So now, I would like to formally invite you to visit the office this month for a session or two of acupuncture. For many, even a single session is enough to reduce stress, loosen up tight muscles, break up inflammation in creaky joints and in general; make you feel better! What’s better; if you bring in this letter, I’ll knock $5  bucks off your next visit (ends October 31st). 

halloween-1743251_1280

But many of you already know that sometimes healing takes time and you’ll need more than a single session. So, because of the tremendous response to a similar offer we had a few months ago, I would like to offer you two additional options.

 

  • Our 3 session Mini Package for only $127 (you’ll save $14).
  • Our 6 session Mega Pack of 6 sessions for a ridiculously low price of $242 (that saves you $40).

It’s hard to imagine how much of a savings that is. So compare that $242 to going to a MD and getting more MRI’s, X-Rays, Cortisone shots, Physical Therapy and prescriptions of drugs that have more ridiculous side effects than you can shake a stick at! Go ahead; take a moment and tally up the cost of all that in your head. NOW THAT’S SCARY!!

 

Beware… The Pagan Festival of Samhain Draws Nigh !!!

 

Of course, I want to encourage you to act quick; so you have to sign up by Halloween, otherwise the price goes back up to normal and the discounts go away. So Hurry…Call Me at Austin Acupuncture Clinic at 434-8700… Before the monsters catches up to you !!!……

…Because once you feel better, you may just notice that Halloween isn’t just about spooks and Scary monsters, but rather is equally about heroes and pixies and magical fairies and princesses!

Once the darkness of ill health has lifted, we can see all the light, wonderful things all around us.

So please, do consider coming in for at least one or two sessions this month. Not only will you be making yourself feel better, but you’ll be giving your loved ones a wonderful gift… which is ‘YOU’ in good health.

halloween 1

Best Wishes, Your good friend…

Jason –“Spooky”– Richard

“Happy Halloween, My Little Monsters !!!”

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn Conditions We TreatLeave a comment
  • Are you wandering the night with insomnia like a Vampire?
  • Or maybe dragging around a bum shoulder or dead leg around like a Zombie?
  • Does a Secret Government Biohazard Team need to cordon off the bathroom when your IBS acts up?
  • Perhaps your Brain Fog leaves you feeling like a half dazed Ghoul aimlessly wandering the countryside.

 

skeleton-151170_1280.pngYou can hear that ghastly, mournful wail drifting in from the moors late at night, emitted by patients who now realize how much unnecessary suffering they have gone through by not going to their acupuncturist; wandering off into the hinterlands never to darken the door of polite society again with their monstrously disfigured face; permanently contorted in its visage of regret and mourning for a pain-free life lost.

 

Oh No… Halloween is Almost Here and Can Be Terrifying !!! Especially if You are Struggling with Scary Health Issues!   Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid!!!

Woe to those burdened and cursed with such horrific afflictions!

Because perhaps the scarier thing to realize is that right after Halloween comes the real big holiday season, with lots of parties, family get-togethers, plays, Christmas concerts and the like. And the idea of going to them can be scary if you aren’t up to handling it.

I hear stories all the time from my patients; “I wanted to go to my grandson’s school concert, but I couldn’t imagine sitting through that pain in my leg for a whole hour”. Or “With my sensitive stomach, there is no way I could travel to the Minneapolis to visit my daughter’s family for the holidays.”

Oh my, what a tragic shame! THE HORROR !!!

bat-151366_1280

What is even more tragic is that many people simply accept their ill health as fate and decide there is nothing they can do about it. Ghouls Gore !!! With a few sessions of acupuncture, many of these socially debilitating health issues can easily be resolved!

So I would like to offer you some relief and assurance that this upcoming holiday season (the ones after Halloween) will be fantastic for both you and your family. And since acupuncture typically has such a long lasting effect, why not start now? Come in for a few sessions with me and we’ll get you fixed up in time for the next round of holidays.

  • “Insomnia making it impossible to function, leaving you feeling like a Gelatinous Blob? Gone in 6 sessions!
  • “Crippling back pain leaving you as miserable as Frankenstein’s Monster?” 6-12 sessions to complete relief.
  • “Neck tension and headaches got you walking around stiff as a Mummy?” Usually 3-6 sessions and done.
  • “Hot Flashes making you feel like a nuclear experiment gone wrong?” Relief is only 6-12 sessions away.
  • “Anxiety and depression got you feeling like being a Troll under the bridge?” Start with 6 sessions.

monster-1297726_1280.pngYou see; feeling better could be just a few days away. So now, I would like to formally invite you to visit the office this month for a session or two of acupuncture. For many, even a single session is enough to reduce stress, loosen up tight muscles, break up inflammation in creaky joints and in general; make you feel better! What’s better; if you bring in this letter, I’ll knock $5  bucks off your next visit (ends October 31st). 

halloween-1743251_1280

But many of you already know that sometimes healing takes time and you’ll need more than a single session. So, because of the tremendous response to a similar offer we had a few months ago, I would like to offer you two additional options.

 

  • Our 3 session Mini Package for only $127 (you’ll save $14).
  • Our 6 session Mega Pack of 6 sessions for a ridiculously low price of $242 (that saves you $40).

It’s hard to imagine how much of a savings that is. So compare that $242 to going to a MD and getting more MRI’s, X-Rays, Cortisone shots, Physical Therapy and prescriptions of drugs that have more ridiculous side effects than you can shake a stick at! Go ahead; take a moment and tally up the cost of all that in your head. NOW THAT’S SCARY!!

 

Beware… The Pagan Festival of Samhain Draws Nigh !!!

 

Of course, I want to encourage you to act quick; so you have to sign up by Halloween, otherwise the price goes back up to normal and the discounts go away. So Hurry…Call Me at Austin Acupuncture Clinic at 434-8700… Before the monsters catches up to you !!!……

…Because once you feel better, you may just notice that Halloween isn’t just about spooks and Scary monsters, but rather is equally about heroes and pixies and magical fairies and princesses!

Once the darkness of ill health has lifted, we can see all the light, wonderful things all around us.

So please, do consider coming in for at least one or two sessions this month. Not only will you be making yourself feel better, but you’ll be giving your loved ones a wonderful gift… which is ‘YOU’ in good health.

halloween 1

Best Wishes, Your good friend…

Jason –“Spooky”– Richard

 

 

 

“I Got A Cold In My Back!”

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

It may sound silly, but from a Chinese medicine perspective, many of the illnesses and symptoms we experience are from exterior influences such as heat and cold and wind and fire and dryness and summer-heat. When an acupuncturist diagnoses things such as the common cold or seasonal allergy or arthritis in the joints, he may label it “wind-cold” or “wind-heat”, for example.

Often times modern doctors scoff at the idea that to “catch a cold” literally means to catch a cold. We’ll talk more about that specifically in another article, but today I wanted to talk about actual “COLD”. You know the sitting on a metal bleacher for 3 hours kind of cold.

From a Chinese perspective, physical cold is considered a pathogen to the body. If you are exposed to cold for too long, your bodies “defensive qi” is exhausted and we are left open to having “external pernicious influences” enter the body and take hold.

I saw this myself just the other day. I went to watch my daughter play volleyball and sat on metal bleachers with my back leaning against a concrete wall at the top row. I noticed that the wall and metal bleacher quickly gave me a cold butt and back. The cool cinder block wall and metal bleachers literally sucked the heat out of me leaving my back cold to the touch.

The next day I woke up stiff and sore just as I expected that I would. What happens is that cold causes the body to constrict and tighten and this leads to tight muscles… especially the next day. I could be diagnosed with “wind-cold invading the bladder meridian” or “local painful bi- syndrome” (that “bi” is pronounced “bee”).

Think of it this way; what happens if you take a freezing cold shower or jump in an icy lake? Exactly; your whole body tightens and spasms and you struggle to control your breathing. Not good unless its in and out or you are practicing the Wim Hof method.

But now imagine slipping into a perfectly heated hot tub. What happens? Ahhhhh…. your body just melts into relaxation.  In the world of Chinese medicine, tightness and stagnation are the enemy of good health. Happily warm is where the body wants to be.

There is precedent worldwide for this sort of thinking; for example, many cultures do not want moms to leave the bed for several days after giving birth and the house for several weeks. The native Americans and Puritans and Russians and many other cultures followed this advice. This helps prevent cold from invading the body.

One of the things we learned in acupuncture school was that pregnant woman (and especially post partum moms) should not sit on cold floors or rock stoops. This is because the cold will have a very direct line to invade the uterus and cause all sorts of gynecological problems. Seems to be some truth to that. I remember a nurse at the local hospital telling my wife that same advice when we had our own child just a few years ago.

Its my belief that being exposed to wind or cold somehow fatigues your immune system in a way that makes you more susceptible to catching an actual viral cold or flu; not just causing stiff muscles. So while it is true that you don’t catch a cold from the actual cold, it does set you up and make you more susceptible to catching a cold.

So what should we do? Stay warm. Avoid cold breezes in winter (such as the central air furnace breeze or ceiling fan above your bed). Wear hoodies, scarfs, long johns and hearty socks. There have been several studies showing that wearing socks to bed leads to a better night sleep and long johns will decrease chronic low back pain by 15% all by itself; just by keeping those back muscles warm and toasty.

Also try to put some insulation between you and a cold surface such as a metal bleacher or concrete wall or concrete steps that will literally suck the heat out of you. Keep yourself warm and insulated from the cold.

If you are so inclined, there are also several herbs that can “push out” and prevent the cold from entering. Herbs such as ginger and black pepper and cinnamon are all great for warming you up from the inside out. Sipping on some ginger tea is a perfect idea for cold days at the game.

An acupuncturist or herbalist has access to many more exotic herbs such as fuzi and perilla and the dozens more herbs known to prevent invasion and expel cold from the body.

But be careful; not all “hot” herbs are good for this. Cayenne pepper will heat you up and make you sweat, but will open the pores so much that you “let the cold in” which is counterproductive. Drinking alcohol does the same thing; it makes you feel warm, but it will actually make you radiate off your own heat rather than keeping it in. Not good.

So keep you ginger brandy for the warm comfy nights by the fireplace.

So, I hope this was an interesting topic for you and it raised a lot of questions in your mind. Let me know if you have any questions and be sure to like our Facebook page.

And see you at the game…

 

Austin Acupuncture Jason…

 

 

Acupuncture for Arthritic Knee Pain

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn Conditions We TreatLeave a comment

I wanted to talk a little about the ins and outs of acupuncture for knee pain… Not only because of the effectiveness I see in my own clinic every day in relieving knee pain, but because of the knowing that it could help so many more people.

From a personal perspective, chronic knee pain can be a life changer… preventing you from doing many of those activities you once loved and fear never being able to do again. For the many people I see in my clinic, simply playing with the grandchildren on the floor is something they are simply no longer able to do.

It is sometimes difficult to make sense of all the medical options available to you if you have knee pain. With medications, physical therapies, cortisone shots, rooster comb injections, surgeries and even knee replacements available, it is sometimes confusing or overwhelming.

For most patients, the chronic knee pain simply gets worse and worse over the years, with their doctors ramping up the invasiveness of their treatment until there is nothing left to try. Then its time for the pain clinic.

For the vast majority of people who come see me for knee pain, they have already been dealing with it for a very long time. Often years. Most have already gone down the path of conventional medicine, but with “so-so” results. They have gone to the therapists and gotten their x-rays and had the shots and perhaps even the surgeries…

With the increasing acceptance of acupuncture amongst medical doctors, many patients are increasingly being refereed to acupuncture for relief from their chronic knee pain. But sometimes even their doctor doesn’t know much more than what he or she may have seen on TV about acupuncture. It is unlikely they learned about it in medical school and since most of their continuing medical education is provided by pharmaceutical companies, it is unlikely they are taught anything about acupuncture’s usefulness there either.

Sometimes it may be best to simply observe what other doctors are doing around the world. As an example, organizations as large as the US military routinely utilize acupuncture for active duty personal. In Europe, the national health care systems of Germany, Italy, Britain, France, and many others regularly utilize acupuncture. In several countries including Germany, and Italy, acupuncture is considered the first line treatment for chronic low back pain and OA of the knee.

In Scharf’s 2006 paper Acupuncture and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Three-Armed Randomized Trial, they found that not only was acupuncture more effective in pain relief than standard care, but held on to that effectiveness more than 6 months after the end of the treatments.

In the case of knee pain, I often paint acupuncture as a form of “Physical Therapy” to my patients; meaning that the intent is to as quickly as possible provide long term pain relief and then cease treatments. In my clinic I very rarely see a knee pain patient more than 12 visits with the average being just 6 treatments.

Not too long ago, a MD referred “Shirley” to my office for knee pain. Although she was previously diagnosed with mild osteoarthritis, she had what was considered by her doctor, an unreasonable amount of pain for the degree of arthritis she had.

Because of the apparent mildness of her arthritis and young age, she was not yet a candidate for knee replacement surgery for several more years. She had been on several different medications and had received 2 rounds of cortisone shots. Her doctor suggested she try acupuncture for pain relief.

I recommended to Shirley that we start with three sessions to gauge how well she responded to the acupuncture. I explained to her that although three sessions is rarely enough to complete the therapy, we will then know at what rate she responds. After three sessions, she reported that the pain in her knee was 50% better. I recommended three additional treatments which improved the pain by 95%. She reported only very minor discomfort when first rising to a standing position; otherwise she no longer noticed any pain once she got moving. On our 7th visit, she was released from treatment. Upon follow up 3 months later, she reported still remaining relatively pain free.

This tends to be a typical case. Unfortunately, there is a small number who do not respond well to this form of care. Thankfully, they are relatively easily to identify within just a few treatments. While it is rare to have a dramatic, long lasting improvement with a single treatment (as many see in movies or hear about from acquaintances), patients should see at least some slight improvement with the initial treatment followed by increasingly noticeable improvement with successive sessions. Occasionally, a patient will be what I call a “late bloomer” and not see any significant improvement until several sessions into the course of treatment.

If a patient does not see improvement after 3 treatments, I typically assume that they are one of the 15% who does not respond well to acupuncture and suggest ending future treatments.

A typical course of treatment frequency would be 3 sessions a week. If they see improvement, we will continue with 3 more sessions the following week and then reevaluate.

A typical visit to an acupuncturist lasts just under an hour. We will chat a bit, talk about the weather and their kids; evaluate the chief complaint and then conduct the treatment. We may typically insert 10-15 “filiform” threads (acupuncture needles) into specific acupuncture point locations around the knee, hands and ear. Once the needles are in place, the patient sits quietly for 20-40 minutes while the body “does its thing”. In that, I mean that the body responds to the tiny stimulation caused by the acupuncture needle. Even with a single puncture, the body responds with a cascade of chemical neurotransmitters triggering the body to produce endorphins, enkephalins, muscle relaxants and anti-inflamatories along with a host of other chemical responses. As I typically tell my patients “acupuncture triggers your body to make its own medicine”.

So should you know of anyone who are not responding well to conventional treatment, I welcome you to contact me with any questions about the use of acupuncture for their issue.