If you are one of the millions of people who made a New Year’s resolution last month to eat better and make healthier choices in 2023, then it might be time to take stock of how that process is going. Are you already off the wagon and back to your unhealthy habits? Or are you keeping your eye on your goals and making progress? No matter which side of the coin you fall on, you might want to talk to your acupuncturist about your nutritional goals. They can be a wealth of information and help as you look to build a better and stronger you.  Building Blocks of Good Health According to Chines ..read more

Mama Always Said: You Are What You Eat Maybe mom really did know best when it came to nutrition. As research has shown, what we eat can actually impact our health profoundly. Over the years, we have learned that our dietary choices can influence our risk of disease. And some have made it a profitable business to teach us new ways to look at food (anti-inflammatory diet, Keto, heart healthy, etc.).  And so, in some instances, food is now looked at as medicinal. While taking supplements can be beneficial, there is no substitute for eating whole, nutritious foods. Why? Because the nutrients ..read more

According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, fibromyalgia is one of the most chronic pain conditions. They say, “the disorder affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 3%-6% of the world population. While it is most prevalent in women (75%-90% of people who have fibromyalgia are women), it also occurs in men and children of all ethnic groups.” Acupuncture for the treatment of fibromyalgia has increased in popularity in recent years, especially as more research has demonstrated the benefits of acupuncture treatment. According to a 2013 study, one in five people ..read more

While commonly connected to those who have served in the military, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, can impact anyone who has suffered from violence or emotional trauma. The National Institute of Mental Health defines PTSD this way, “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after exposure to a potentially traumatic event that is beyond a typical stressor.” According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs approximately 12 million adults in the U.S. suffer from PTSD during a given year.  Research has shown that acupuncture for PTSD reduces anxiety and stress levels. Acu ..read more

A Harris Poll released earlier this year found that approximately three out of ten U.S. adults currently suffer from chronic low back pain. To put it another way, that’s an estimated 72.3 million people! Common treatments usually include prescription medications which bring their own complications and side effects into the picture. If you are looking for a drug-free alternative to your back pain, acupuncture could be the solution you have been searching for.  What the Research Says According to the experts at WebMD, chronic low back pain is one of the conditions most touted by research s ..read more

Whether you are a professional, college, or high school athlete (or maybe just a weekend warrior), you know that injuries can happen when you least expect it. Sometimes, it’s a traumatic injury because your body was pushed beyond its limit and sometimes, the injury comes from simple overuse. And every athlete wants to get back on the field, court, or track as quickly as possible. Many athletes have discovered that acupuncture is an ideal treatment to augment recovery, speed up healing, and reduce pain. Acupuncture basically works like this. When you suffer an injury, the flow of energy (also ..read more

The health of our lungs isn’t necessarily talked about a lot when general health is discussed. Typically, cardiovascular health, chronic pain, cholesterol and stroke risk tend to be the more common topics. Many don’t think about lung health until there is a problem and then improving it becomes priority number one. And it isn’t just lung cancer that is the biggest concern. There are a host of other respiratory diseases that can cause problems. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD has jumped up the list of lung issues causing airflow blockage and breathing related problems. According ..read more

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, almost 50,000 people die every year from opioid overdoses, more than 10 million misuse opioids in a given year, and opioids are a factor in 72% of overdose deaths. You hear about the opioid crisis on the nightly news frequently but what can be done to help people deal with chronic pain (the reason they are likely taking the opioids in the first place). Can acupuncture really help?  Acupuncture and Pain Relief Chronic pain can be debilitating for those suffering from it and directly impacts quality of life. People often treat chr ..read more

In a nutshell, traditional acupuncture, also known as Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM, works under the belief that the body is controlled by a flow of energy called qi traveling through pathways in the body that are called meridians. Acupuncturists believe that when these pathways become blocked and the energy can’t flow freely, various health problems begin to appear.  According to Pacific College of Health and Science, which houses one of the acupuncture schools here in the U.S., “while some practitioners still follow the traditional philosophy of qi, others have also started incor ..read more

Cancer treatments can cause a variety of other side effects that also need to be addressed. More and more research is showing acupuncture as a viable option for additional pain management for those receiving chemotherapy or surgery and for the common side effects those treatments can bring. These side effects can include neuropathy, dry mouth, constipation, anxiety, and nausea. How it Works It is commonly taught that acupuncture works by regulating and balancing qi, the energy that flows through the body along channels called meridians. By inserting needles into points along these channels, o ..read more