It was official. 17 years ago on August 15th 2001 I got my acupuncture license delivered by the US post office from the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice.
So I wanted to take a moment to thank each one of you who has visited and supported what we do here at the clinic (and those of you still just considering it. 🙂 ).
Many people were doubtful in the beginning that Austin would support something as crazy as an acupuncture clinic. Maybe they thought that Austin was too “conservative” for something as far out as acupuncture or “alternative” medicine. But I’m sure most have them have stopped laughing by now because it turns out that we have had a great run for the past 17 years.
Surprisingly enough, it was exactly those “conservative” types that have come for acupuncture; the retirees and farmers and the teachers and policemen and factory workers and immigrants, corporate execs, lawyers, doctors, daycare providers… and everyone in between. And each one of them has been a wonderful patient and learning experience for me.
Back them, 17 years ago, acupuncture was still pretty new to the area. So it was quite a social and financial gamble for these early patients who dared to come. For all they knew it could have been the quackery that many people told them it was. Not so much any more.
Since then, many highly respected institutions have thrown their support behind acupuncture and encourage its use. Organizations such as the VA and the US military, U of M, the Mayo Clinic and all of the major hospitals across the country. And they support it because they know it works.
Acupuncture is definitely mainstream now.
And why do people come? They come for a whole spectrum of health issues, for sure. Of course the most common reason is pain of some sort; back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, carpel tunnel… but also many people come for things such as digestive issues, allergies, hot flashes, anxiety and stress relief, infertility and the whole list of gynecological issues. People also come for cancer support and even cosmetic acupuncture or even just for the sense of overall well being that acupuncture provides. Heck, some people just come in for their occasional “tune-up” because they like how acupuncture makes them feel. One gentleman who comes in once a month after getting out of work calls it his “acupuncture happy hour”.
Acupuncture is so versatile; it can be used as a rehab, a quick course of treatment to fix a nagging health issue, or even just for prevention to improve health. Because isn’t it better to prevent a problem than to try fixing it after it has become a huge issue?
I have been truly blessed for these past 17 years for the amazing people who have supported this crazy acupuncture idea of mine. People often think that this acupuncture thing is about me, but I know that it is actually about them; the patients. Some people think that this is “my” clinic, but I know better. I know that it is “your” clinic. I am just here to serve each one of those patients that come looking for help. Without the fantastic people who have been brave enough and supportive enough of what we do here, we would not have lasted all of these 17 years.
So to all of you who have ever came for acupuncture, Thank you! From the bottom of my heart I want to thank each of you for trusting that acupuncture would be helpful and valuable to you and your family. I honor and value that trust.
And now… on to the next 17 years!
ary forces. They flow into each other and contain seeds of the other. We only understand something when compared to its opposite. This is the root of yin & yang theory. It is often illustrated in the famous yin & yang symbol which illustrates the concept quite clearly; it is one figure composed of two halves, each housing a small part of the other. Nothing is totally yin and nothing is totally yang, each eventually shifts, and changes and becomes the other. The concept of yin and yang is an important fundamental concept in Chinese medicine.
Researchers warn that people doing this test wouldn’t get all worked up if they find a difference in ability to smell because there can be “false positives” due to various things such as olfactory nerve damage, etc (have you ever gotten punched in the nose?). See your doctor instead. And then do the 100 things shown to support brain health.
Stay hydrated. One of the most important things you can do to improve your qi flow is stay hydrated. I often use the metaphor of patients being “swampy”, meaning that their qi flow is stagnant; like a swamp. Things are slow and really not circulating well at all; they are just stuck because there is not enough “back pressure” to move things forward. How do you clear a swamp? Not by draining it, but by flooding it with more water. There is a statistic that 75% of Americans are chronically, clinically dehydrated. So if you are feeling “swampy” and stagnant, be sure that you are drinking enough water. I’m sure you have heard that you should drink 64 ounces of water every day (8 glasses), but if you aren’t into drinking that much water, don’t sweat it; you can “eat” your water by getting that amount of fluid from juicy fruits and vegetables as well. For instance, a medium size apple has about 5.5 oz. of water in it. In a perfect world, you’d want to have your drinking and bathing water un-chlorinated and un-fluoridated. City water has both of those chemical halides added. Maybe consider spring or well water. Either way, drink water and stay hydrated.
d way to add it into our diet was to sneak it into our diet by adding it to something most people drank every day. But today, many people have cut back on milk. Incidentally, calling D a “vitamin” is a bit misleading, because it is actually a hormone. A fat. It is needed for a healthy immune system, the production of testosterone and warding off cancer. There are many studies connecting the shortage of vitamin D to cancer. So make it a priority to get at least 20 minutes of very direct sunlight every day on your face, chest and arms. If you can’t then take a vitamin D pill. So whether you look at it from a traditional viewpoint where you need the sun to charge you up with fire, or a modern point of view where it is necessary for proper hormone function, get some sun.
mple trick. Just take a quick cold shower every morning. It is like a quick shock to the system and the body apparently responds very positively. It has been linked to improved circulation, heart function, hormone production, weight loss, decreased anxiety and depression and improved mental clarity throughout the day. If you aren’t too keen on cold showers, then try this; at the end of your morning shower, crank the dial to cold just for the last 30 seconds. Studies have shown that most of the benefit comes from those first 30-60 seconds of a cold shower.
some yoga or calisthenics, playing at the playground with your kids or anything else that gets your heart pumping just a little bit. To get your qi moving, you need to move your blood, so doing anything that gets your heart going (even just a little bit) is good. I’m not asking you to commit to going to the gym for an hour every day or running on the treadmill; just do something… anything for 20 minutes every day to get those juices flowing.
Austin Acupuncture Clinic 