Brain drain? Feeling fuzzy when it comes to…um, what were we talking about? From names to numbers, we all tend to forget sometimes. But you can do something about it. In fact – a lot of things. Keep your circulation humming with lots of long walks, try to learn something new every day, and a short course of acupuncture. Think of it as a prickly boost for your noggin. Sit back, relax and enjoy a new found level of focus. 6-12 sessions for best results.
Smoking 2 cigarettes a day or eating a burger can both reduce your lifespan by 30 minutes each time you indulge! From this statistical realization has been coined the term “microlives” – half hour chunks that can be added or subtracted to our expected lifespan based on our chosen activities. By being 11 pounds overweight, having more than one alcoholic drink each day or sitting in front of a t.v. for two hours each day on average over a lifetime, all have been found to statistically decrease our lifespan.
“It’s a bit crazy; not only are you spending 15 minutes smoking a single cigarette, but you end up subtracting an additional 15 minutes off the end of your lifespan, so it’s as if you’re giving up that 15 minutes twice” says a researcher.
Some other subtractors? Eating an extra portion of red meat every day will cut down a man’s life expectancy by about 365 days.
Fortunately, there are activities the researchers found that ADD BACK time. Drinking a single alcoholic beverage each day, eating real live fresh fruits and vegetables (9 servings each day will end up adding two hours per day accumulated day after day), and exercising regularly can all add more time to your life than the amount spent doing them. They found that if you regularly do 20 minutes of exercise, you actually gain about an hour of life each time you do that exercise. Exercising for a whole hour gives you an hour and a half of extra time tacked onto the end of your life expectancy as does drinking 2-3 cups of coffee a day. Even flossing adds time to your clock.
The point I think the researchers didn’t mention is that not only are you adding quantity to your life, but undoubtedly also quality! Not only will we live longer, but enjoy a healthier, more vibrant, more enjoyable life up until that moment that the good Lord takes us. Like one of my teachers asked of us, “Would you prefer being sickly and diseased for the last 20 years of your life and die at 60, or do you want to die unexpectedly from a massive coronary on the 7th green of the golf course in your mid 80’s? It’s your decision.” I don’t even play golf, but I’d pick that one.
The best news is that these positive “microlife adding behaviors” can start having an impact even in older people who just now begin to adopt these healthy behaviors.
Jason’s Top 10 Healthiest Behaviors…
By now you know, it’s Cold and Flu Season here in Austin. So far it’s been a very hard year for colds… We have already had our first serious cases of influenza reported at the hospital. Imagine the po
or lady lying in bed or sitting in the doctor’s office; Sick. Throwing up. Running to the bathroom every 10 minutes. Dazed, Chills, Feverish and achy in muscles she didn’t know she had. Feeling as if on the edge of death, but with sooo much to do and to get done. Now imagine what it would be like if that were you.
News reports over the past week or two show Emergency Rooms around the country backed up for hours with patients with the “Flu”. And for every one patient a doctor sees for the flu, they’ll see 10 with the simple common cold.
The Drug makers would have you believe that once you get their Flu shot, you are free and clear and impervious to the flu. But scientific research data may show something a little bit different. Several recent studies even show the flu shot to be a total bust. What is often failed to be mentioned is that colds and flu’s are caused by hundreds of different viruses and bacteria’s. Each year, when the drug companies produce the next year’s batch of vaccine, it’s based on their educated guess on which of the 6 or so virus strains will be the most common that year; but definitely not all 10,000 of them. What if you happen to be exposed to the wrong flu virus? And the common cold, of course HAS no vaccine. Thankfully, you can do something NOW to prevent the worst from happening this season. Why not give yourself a little “beat the odds” insurance…
…Why not give yourself the assurance acupuncture provides?
Q; “Why would I need acupuncture, I’ve already got my flu shot?”
A; The flu shot is definitely touted by our doctors to be a good thing, but even on the best of days, won’t stop all strains of flu, and it definitely won’t stop a common cold or other infections like bronchitis & pneumonia. Modern OTC & prescription cold medicines concerns themselves primarily with either killing the germs or controlling symptoms. Many of the drugs we take actually suppress the body’s natural attempts to fend for itself. Achy muscles, fever, sneezing and snotty noses are all things the body does to defend itself and defeat the invading germs. Most cold medicines attempt to stop those natural responses because they annoy us. Research shows that these OTC remedies such as decongestants actually lengthen the course of the illness; Not shorten it. So we stay sick longer. Bummer.
The reason acupuncture achieves such great success in treating colds and flu’s and similar conditions has to do with the nature of the acupuncture itself. Acupunctures primary concern is maintaining a healthy state of balance within the human body and its outside environment. It boosts our bodies natural immune response.
Acupuncture is a perfect tool to prevent colds and flus by improving your immune defenses. People that receive regular acupuncture treatments get sick less often. If you already have a cold or flu, acupuncture can help you recover more quickly. There have been countless clinical studies preformed in universities and hospitals worldwide proving its effect. Even after a single needle, the body begins to respond by producing more white blood cells, reduces the stress hormone cortisol and strengthens the immune system.
Q; “What is the proof it works? Isn’t it all just Silly Folk Medicine?”
A; The fact is, millions of intelligent physicians from around the world have used these therapies for years. Even here in the US, acupuncture and herbal medicine is becoming mainstream medicine at a breakneck pace. Today, over 25% of all the hospitals in the US have acupuncturists on staff, Over 33% of all the medical schools now offer courses on acupuncture to their doctors. Even Mayo clinic in Rochester has given its nod of approval and now offers acupuncture to patients with auto-immune disorders and pain. Several studies prove its effectiveness in all manner of immune system disorders including such deadly viral diseases as HIV and AIDS.
Here’s a true story to illustrate the point. Some years ago, a group of esteemed scientists from the People’s Republic of China were invited to visit the United States by the American scientific community. This event ushered in an exchange of ideas and an opportunity for two great nations to be able to corroborate on a number of issues vital to the health and welfare of the world. Over a period of two months, the Chinese scientists visited virtually every major research facility in the nation, followed closely by their American hosts, who were furiously taking notes and promoting discussion on matters from nuclear physics to aerospace, medical research and treatment approaches. The visit culminated in a banquet at Princeton University in honor of the Chinese scientists, which was attended by a virtual “who’s who” of the North American scientific world.
During the banquet, the moderator of the event posed the question to the chief Chinese scientist as to what he felt was one of the most significant things he had learned in America; what had impressed him the most about the United States that he would return to China and share it with his colleagues who were not present on this historic visit? The scientist rose from his chair, strode to the microphone, gazed over the crowd and stated in understandable English: “The number one thing that has impressed me the most about America is the common belief by the common person that there is no cure for the common cold.” The American scientists were totally caught off guard with this statement, as it was perhaps the farthest thing from anyone’s mind. It was not what they had expected to hear.
Although the US is fixated on the idea that there is no cure for the common cold, in the Orient, it is commonly understood that there is plenty that you can do to get rid of colds & flus and speed up and shorten the length & duration of it. In Chinese Medical school, the first sickness we learn to treat is the common cold. During the SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic of a few years ago, the Chinese (who are constantly trying to modernize their healthcare system), found themselves once again turning to and relying on centuries old traditional herbal medicine & acupuncture over more conventional western drug treatments for the deadly SARS. Doctors found themselves giving traditional medicine such as acupuncture and herbs in the Emergency Room along with modern life saving treatments such as nebulizers and steroids and antiviral drugs.
Q; “But insurance wont pay. You want me to pay for this out of my pocket? You Crazy?!?”
A; There are lots of things insurance doesn’t cover, so we shouldn’t really depend on them to make the best decisions for us. Eye glasses, hearing aids, dental, expensive cancer treatments, etc… are only partially covered if at all, leaving you with the bill. Nor do they pay for walking shoes or gym membership or even green house plants for your home? Those three things have been scientifically proven to reduce sickness, relieve depression, speed recovery and improve overall health. Just as acupuncture has.
Nope, insurance coverage is not based on best medical practices & outcomes. It is based on something else. Something which should concern us all. Why don’t they pay for those things I mentioned? Truthfully the insurance companies don’t care whether you are sick or not, or in pain, or even ugly. What matters to insurance companies is that someone pays them and they hopefully don’t have to pay you. Honestly, how much faith do you put in insurance companies really caring about you. It’s quite cynical to think, but many people have come to the conclusion that it is in the best interest for your insurance company that you stay sick and in pain… That way they have to charge more in premiums and thus make more profit. The sicker you are and the more expensive care you need, the better it is for their bottom line. Healthy people just aren’t all that profitable for insurance companies. Acupuncture saves money, so they want nothing to do with it.
Years ago, health care was decided by you and your doctor. Today, health care decisions are made by politicians, some corporation’s lawyers and their accountants 1000 miles away. With prices so high, medical care is inaccessible and unaffordable unless your insurance company “allows” you to have it. Acupuncture on the other hand is cheap cheap cheap! Choosing acupuncture means that you are taking back control.
Q; “So how can I take back control over my health this season?”
A; You can come in for our “Immune Booster Acu-Pack” (nice name, eh?) series of 10 treatments. You will not only vastly increase your chances of remaining cold and flu free for the rest of this winter season, but you will feel much, much better, overall. Remember that feeling you had when you initially came in for acupuncture; remember the relaxed feeling; the peace of mind and mental awakeness; The feeling of having more energy. That’s why I have decided to make you a very special offer to remove any roadblocks you might think there are to keeping yourself well this winter.
As you know, acupuncture medicine doesn’t work by magic (I wish). Just as if you were to go to the gym once and then not go back, you shouldn’t expect to see many results. In this way, Acupuncture is like going to the gym, but for your insides instead of your outsides. One acupuncture treatment usually just wouldn’t be enough. A short series is needed to make the benefits stick long term. That’s why were offering this;
10 sessions for the incredible price of $397! (That’s a whopping savings!!!)
(by paying up front, its like getting almost two whole treatments for free.)
To put it in perspective; remember that acupuncturists up in the Cities and Rochester charge between $75-125 for a single session of acupuncture cash. Mayo charges as much as $280 a session! If you do that math, it’s like getting $2800 worth of care for $397! We’re simply doing this because we really want you to be healthy this season and want you to make sure you get enough acupuncture for it to be effective. Now compare that $397 to the last bill you got from the doctor. Unless you are one of those ultra-rare Hormel retirees from long ago with 100% coverage, your bill made you queezy when you first saw it- because it was so high. Heck… just today my family got a bill from Mayo for a routine 15 minute doctors visit… $1,505!!! For a 15 minute appointment. 
“The number one reason acupuncture fails is because patients drop out too soon or treatments are spaced too far apart. That’s why we want you to come in for the 10 sessions over a course of just a few weeks. 10 sessions is the common treatment protocol in Chinese hospitals and University studies and is the foundation for good, long lasting results.”
…So Commit to Caring For Yourself Beginning with Acupuncture…
Feel energized…
Become pain free…
Sleep like a baby…
Enjoy peace of mind…
Increase your endurance for what life throws at you…
Many in America have found acupuncture as a cost effective addition to their healthy lifestyle in building a strong immune system, strengthen vital internal organ function and increase overall health, longevity and sense of well being.
Not only will these 10 sessions boost your immune system, it’ll also address whatever else needs to be taken care of such as a bad back or headaches. The beauty of Chinese Medicine is its ability to address multiple ailments at the same time. So I recommend setting you up with the 10 sessions at a frequency of 2 to 3 a week (the way it’s done in China); or whatever works best for you.
The only catch is that you have to act fast. My accountant hates when I give you all such great deals and demands that I limit this to just a few people since the savings is so drastic. He thinks I’m giving away too much value and cutting too deep into the bottom line. So to keep him off my back, I agreed to limit it to just the first 10 people. But also, if November 15th comes, the deal is off and so is the savings. The other reason I’m doing that because you need to act fast to prepare your body’s defenses before the viruses get here in full force.
You have to ask yourself; What is your health worth? What is a winter free from the misery of the flu worth? What is it worth to enjoy play time with your grandkids this season? There aren’t a whole lot of winters in ones lifetime to enjoy, you know.
So don’t let this fantastic opportunity for better health slip by. It’s such a small investment. You’ll be trading away something you don’t want (the crud) for something you do (better health) and not only will you be healthier; you’ll have more energy to enjoy it with.
So go ahead, Call our Austin Acupuncture office today and mention the “Immune Acu-Pack”…
*P.S.S… And as always, I know $397 is a lot of money, so remember that we also offer a 3 session pack for only $127 and our single visits are still just the crazy low price of $47. Hope to see you soon…
A 
new study conducted by Spanish researchers verified and agreed with a study conducted just a few years ago by our very own Mayo Clinic in Rochester; That acupuncture provides long lasting & effective relief from pain even months after a patient concludes treatment. In other words; it lasts a long time.
“We observed a significant improvement in all indicators related to pain perception (pain visual analogue scale score, tender points, pressure pain threshold) in the intervention group compared to the control group, both at the end of treatment and during the follow-up periods of 3, 6 and 12 months” stated the researchers.
Brent A. Bauer, MD, FACP, research director of Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program in Rochester, Minn., said the findings from the study in Spain are similar to those seen at a study at Mayo Clinic that showed symptom relief appeared to extend several months after the acupuncture treatment. “Given the challenges in finding successful treatment strategies for patients with chronic pain, as well as the tremendous safety record of acupuncture in the hands of qualified practitioners, I often incorporate acupuncture as part of my overall treatment approach for my patients with chronic pain,” Dr. Bauer said.
The Spanish study involved a trial of 9 acupuncture treatments over 9 weeks. 10 weeks after the last treatment, pain levels were still cut almost in half of what they started at.
Austin Acupuncture offers effective treatments for conditions such as chronic & acute pain, stress, allergies, sleep, smoking cessation, infertility, pms, hot flashes, weight loss and many more. We also offer cosmetic acupuncture which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and restores your youthful glow.
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless and reason is powerless.” Herophles, 300 b.c.
Greetings!
It’s been a great winter and year so far, hasn’t it? I invite you to join me in making 2017 the most amazing year of our lives! Now that we’re about a week into the year, many of us have already let our New Years resolutions fall to the wayside. If that is you, I’d encourage you to consider reinvigorating your commitment to following through with those resolutions.
When we first make New Years Resolutions, its because there is usually is pretty good reasons we commit to them and we shouldn’t let a few stumbles stop us from achieving them and gaining the greater happiness and peace of mind these important changes will provide.
Now that you have made the heartfelt intention to make these changes in your life, it is important to have a plan and to follow through to the end. Write it down. Please don’t put your important resolutions on the back burner till next year simply because it’s proving to be a more difficult improvement to make than you imagined. Follow through. Don’t give up. Insert your new healthy habit into your daily routine by tacking it onto something you already habitually do every day. For instance, if you want to build a meditation practice, you might use the “RPM” method. That means “Rise, Pee, Meditate”. This allows you to tack on meditation to an already established daily habit. Some experts have suggested that the morning is the time of the day that facilitates change… trying to shoehorn an important habit (like exercise) later in the day is usually doomed to failure (as we all have seen). So if you want to make an important change in your life, or add something important to it; do it first thing in the morning. Morning rituals matter. The only exception may be those natural “breaks” in our lives. Meditating or exercising before you leave the office at the end of the work day (and before you head home) is another good example of tacking a healthy habit onto the tail end of something you already do.
If you are finding that your new healthier lifestyle choices (such as stop smoking, loosing weight, eating healthier or being more active) are proving more difficult to achieve alone, I invite you to stop by for an appointment and we can work out a strategic plan to make your changes stick throughout the year and throughout a lifetime.
Best Regards, …Jason
Have you ever noticed that the “Cold and Flu Season” typically happens right around January? We’re often told that that is because we are all cooped in together because it is cold outside and we share more germs indoors and that is how they are spread. So the idea is that colds and flus are more common because we are inside and because it’s cold outside.
Ah… actually, cold and flu season in Australia is also in January. That’s odd, isn’t it? In Australia, which is on the opposite side of the earth, January is the middle of summer time.
What some people have noticed is that it may not be the germs and closed spaces that are to blame, but all of the holiday imbibing we do in the week’s proceeding cold & flu season. We weaken and suppress our immune system and open ourselves up to being susceptible to those germs.
Just think of it; what is Christmas for most people? High stress and the anxiety of socializing, juggling money to buy presents and pay all the bills, running from here to there for get togethers. We eat (and over eat) all sorts of treats and drink considerable amounts of alcohol. We also are going to bed 7-8 hours past sunset. That disrupts out circadian rhythms and makes us chronically under-rested.
About a week after Christmas comes New Years Eve; While not as stressful, it still has loads of social stress and merry making with loads of food and drinking and staying out late.
In Chinese medicine, all of these things are called “insults” to our body; The late nights of going to bed so many hours after sunset, the rich foods, the holiday stress, the socializing, the booze…
All of those things tax and fatigue and weaken our body’s natural ability to stay healthy and fend off colds and flus (which are viral infections). The theory is that if we had not beat down our immune system with all of this merry-making, then we would easily have the ability to defend ourselves from the viruses and germs.
So it’s not the germs, but rather our weakened immune system that makes us susceptible to getting sick.
Don’t get me wrong; I love all of the festivities of Christmas and New Years. Each is full of hope and family and fun and promise for a better tomorrow.
Now that we are past Christmas and gearing up for New Years Eve and the cold and flu season beyond, I offer these few suggestions to stay healthy this winter.
So, that is just a couple. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. The number here at Austin Acupuncture is 434-8700.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
Austin Acupuncture Jason…
I hear it just about every day at the office; “All I did was bend over to pick something off the floor” or “all I did was get out of the car”, “all I did was…”. In almost every case that someone comes to me to help relieve their strain or sprain pain, it wasn’t because they were doing anything difficult. No, just by doing everyday normal movements, they hurt themselves. This confuses many people because picking up a piece of paper from the floor should not be enough to send them to the doctor. But it does.
The real reason our muscles and joints betray us like this is because they are weak, tired and not able to hold ourselves together as they once were. The muscles of our body become weaker with age (don’t take it personally; it happens to all of us starting at the age of about 24). The only way to prevent the occasional strains and strains and muscle pulls is to strengthen our muscles from head to toe preventatively. That’s right; the dreaded exercise! Any activity to get the blood moving and the muscles working is great. Weight bearing exercises are especially good in preventing arthritis and osteoporosis. So make it a priority to get 20 minutes of moderate physical activity every day, no matter what your age. It will not only lessen your chance of pain from here on out, but it will “recharge your batteries” and give you the vitality and energy everyone will be envious of.
Remember, we’re here for you, ready to be a major part of your healthy lifestyle. Call us and we promise to treat you the way you should be treated, without being rushed and without making you “just another number.”
Greetings! Welcome to my favorite time of the year: Back To School! I know that sounds funny, but what I mean is that this is the time of the year that the air starts to turn crisp and refreshing and we all get to put away the sandals and shorts and pull out our comfy sweaters for those cool summer nights… heaven.
This is also the time of the year that nature begins to prepare for the long winter ahead. It is the time when things ripen and fatten and get juicy. Just think of the apples and pumpkins and squash that we can all enjoy in the coming months.
This is also the time of the year to return back to a steady routine. During summer, it feels like there is no set schedule… with odd bed times and wake up times for the kids NOT in school and the various vacations and day trips summer brings, it is hard to find a routine during these past summer months… Its discombobulating.
Now that the kids are back in school, we can all have routine. They say that “who” we are and “what” we are and “how” we are is simply the sum total of our daily routines. So if you want to change something about how you feel, just start by changing one or two of your daily habits.
Jason
Austin Acupuncture Clinic 