acupuncture

Acupressure Point to facilitate labor

Acupuncture for Childbirth Preparation

Acupuncture is a powerful tool to help manage many of the problems women face during pregnancy. Exhaustion, depression, digestive issues, constipation, hemorrhoids, headaches, heartburn, insomnia, low back pain, nausea and stress related symptoms are successfully treated within the scope of acupuncture. It can also be helpful as an adjunctive therapy for gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory infections, UTI’s and more. 

Weekly acupuncture during the last four weeks of pregnancy focuses on the preparation of a woman’s body for natural childbirth. The goals of treatment include:

  •  Helping the cervix to ripen or soften for the passage of the baby. 
  • Positioning of the baby for the best presentation. 
  • Supporting the energy and stamina of the  pregnant woman.

Studies have shown that pre-birth acupuncture significantly lowers the incidence of medical interventions including C-sections, epidurals and episiotomies. Women who have pre-birth acupuncture have shorter labors with less discomfort.

Acupressure can be utilized to support a woman during labor. Prior to labor the acupuncturist instructs  the  woman’s partner or labor coach on how to administer acupressure to specific points that will help to facilitate the childbirth process. For some childbirth pairs, we mark the most important points on the women’s body so they are easily accessed when needed.

For childbirth support during labour, I recommend using two or three points together. I’ll  share the name of each point and a little about the spirit of each point. Please note: Some of these points are contraindicated during pregnancy.

Reinforcing Labor

SP6 The United Crossing of Three Yins – This is an earth point. Here, the spleen,  kidney and liver channels meet and the nourishing force of Qi joins with vitality and strength (earth, water, wood.) This meeting point joins these great resources.

LI4 Union Valley –  This is a metal point. Valleys are lush with resources and this point helps clear the body of what is no longer needed, and does so with great vitality, helping the energy to flow.

Labor

GB21 Well of the Shoulder – Baby Descending Point. Wood. Helps us to shoulder life’s burdens, to stand upright and remain balanced. Fresh water gives us inspiration and reserves to shoulder our responsibilities.

BL32 The Second Sacral Bone Notch – This is a water point – water always reaches its destination, it is both soft and strong. In addition to helping babies find their way into the world, it reduces pain during contraction, facilitates dilation.

Stamina

KD1 Bubbling Spring – Also a water point. Bubbles up from the ground with great vitality. The source of vision which comes from growth. This spring taps into knowledge, tranquility, wisdom, creativity and courage.

ST36 To Walk in the Great Strength of Stillness – Earth point. Storehouse for putting things into action and moving with extra strength when things are difficult.

Pregnancy and childbirth are a treasured and sacred journey. Both acupuncture and acupressure are wonderful tools that can provide support for the transition. 

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Treating Depression Through Acupuncture

Prior to the COVID-19, an estimated 17.3 million adults in the USA have had at least one major depressive episode. Since the onset of the pandemic, this mental health challenge has tripled, according to an article published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). Depression has become one of the most common illnesses in our culture. When feelings of hopelessness, despair and disconnection set in it can be difficult to function. 

In the west, traditional approaches to mental health problems include psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. While these approaches can be very helpful, they often miss the relationship between our physical body, mental function and emotional health.

Five Element Acupuncture is a powerful tool that can help you to manage and overcome depression. In our intake, we are interested in your past, what it was like for you growing up, how your life has progressed and how you are doing now. We explore the important junctions in your life and your hopes and dreams for the future. Concurrently, we evaluate how your physical body is functioning and learn about your overall constitution.

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Anxiety & Acupuncture

Before to the COVID-19  pandemic, anxiety disorders affected over 40 million adults in the USA. (National Institute of Mental Health) Today, the stresses we face are  extraordinary. We have feelings of fear, concerns about our personal safety and uncertainty regarding our future. The number of people who are struggling with anxiety since the pandemic began has skyrocketed. 

Stress that accompanies a crisis can be overwhelming and exhausting. When a person is faced with chronic challenges, the experience of overload can lead to physical and psychological depletion. Mental health issues often follow. 

It is not uncommon for people who suffer from an anxiety disorder to also have depression. Traditional treatment options include psychotherapy and medication. Acupuncture is one of the approaches that is being included by mainstream medical offices. Acupuncture is gaining recognition as a noninvasive and potent way to treat not only physical but mental illnesses as well.

A growing body of research supports the effectiveness of acupuncture in managing anxiety problems. Five Element Acupuncture works to restore the health of the physical body and also the mind and spirit. The initial session takes an in depth look at your history, your experiences growing up, your relationships, hopes, dreams and challenges. Anxiety is a symptom that comes into play within the context of a person’s life. Emotional challenges and trauma can become deeply rooted in the physical body.

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Acupuncture and low back pain

Acupuncture and Low Back Pain

Almost everyone suffers from low back pain at some point in their lifetime. There are many types of back problems ranging from stiffness and muscle spasm to nerve pain that can radiate into the foot. Low back pain can simply be due to poor sitting or working posture. It can also result from the degeneration of lumbar discs or spinal vertebrae. Whether you have minor discomfort or suffer miserably, acupuncture can make a huge difference in the prevention and treatment of low back pain.

Diagnostic tests (CAT, MRI) are sometimes useful, yet they often miss important information that can only be obtained during a thorough interview and physical examination.

Low cost, non invasive diagnostics are vital to the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment. Skillful observation is a priceless component needed to understand back pain.

While each acupuncturist works differently, there are a few keys to successful treatment.

To treat a problem we need to fully understand the problem.

  • How did it start? What activities make the problem worse? Are there positions or movements that reduce the symptoms?
  • Range of Motion (ROM) measurements of the low back, neck, hip and shoulders show where mobility is limited and whether specific types of movement increase pain.
  • Observation of the  patient’s sitting posture, the transition from sit to stand, standing posture and gait pattern demonstrates much about an individual’s tension patterns and habitual movement.
  • Alignment of the foot, pelvis and recognition of structural asymmetries also provide vital information pertaining to the origins of a particular person’s back pain. For example, people with fallen arches miss the shock absorption that well functioning feet provide for the low back.
  • Palpation reveals tenderness, pain and soft tissues that are excessively firm or immobile. In many cases, back pain is related to a low back, diaphragm or psoas muscle spasm.
  • Chinese pulse can point to energetic blocks (energetic conflicts) reflecting the health of each meridian. Acupuncture releases these blocks and strengthens the constitution.

Each finding provides valuable clues for the acupuncturist to uncover the etiology of a patient’s back pain and to monitor progress. Acupuncture utilizes energetic pathways to speak to the underpinnings of limited motion, spasm, structural imbalances and spinal compression. By doing this acupuncture creates an opening for misaligned structures and compromised movement patterns to shift toward greater balance. This is a noninvasive and gentle approach that promotes healing.

The hallmarks of a good treatment include, but are not limited to the relief of back pain. By removing energetic blocks, releasing tender areas, restoring mobility, balancing the structure and supporting the client’s unique constitution the whole person moves towards balance. Acupuncture can do all of this by restoring healthy energetic patterns. Symptom oriented treatments often miss underlying causes of problems. By looking carefully at the whole person and exploring their problems in depth, treatment proceeds with insight and understanding.

Also Read:

Robin McKenzie’s Revolutionary Approach to Back Pain

Contribution of Robin Mckenzie to Understanding and Treating Low Back Pain

Rolfing and Low Back Pain

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Five Element Acupuncture

Holistic Heath With Five Element Acupuncture

When you think of your health, what do you think of? A nagging backache or indigestion? Frequent sinus infections that necessitate you to call in sick way too often? Anxiety? Depression?

We all have the desire to be cured of our problems. Through the course of a normal life, everyone experiences health issues. Whether it is migraines, bellyaches, or backaches we feel that our lives would be so much more enjoyable without these annoying discomforts. Health anxiety often shifts with physical symptoms. The ailments that occupied our thoughts and distracted us 10 years ago, may have been replaced by new ones that seem to be more pressing and serious.

Our health need not be measured solely by the absence of symptoms, rather by our progress along life’s journey. Physical health is important, but is only part of the picture. Total health is a composite, comprised of many mental, physical and spiritual factors.

The phrases: “holistic health” and “body, mind and spirit” have become popular in our culture. Yet people still tend to identify with ailments and diagnoses that their doctors give them.

Five Element Acupuncture is a specific style of acupuncture which encompasses a complex system of examination, diagnosis and treatment. My patients typically come in for the treatment of a physical problem. It could be a headache, a reproductive issue or chronic pain. Many come with structural issues that affect their posture, alignment and movement.  Some come with neurological problems including cerebral palsy, neuropathy or Parkinson’s. While these issues are what brings them through the door, there are often more profound underlying weaknesses that fuel these symptoms and undermine their progress in life. It is my intention to uncover these underlying factors and treat them.

The first appointment includes a comprehensive interview, examination and evaluation.   I want to know about the past, the important intersections in my patient’s journey and how it’s been for them to navigate life’s challenges. The physical history is important as well, but only part of the picture. I want to know what makes them tick, what motivates them. I am interested in their hopes and dreams.

While listening to their story, I am looking for clues about their constitution. I observe the color or hue of their skin, the resonance of their voice, and the emotional quality they exude. I am searching for what lies beneath the surface, the fundamental aspects of their constitution which bring me closer to an understanding of their essence. This understanding is referred to by Five Element Acupuncturists as the “causative factor.” At the time of birth, every human being receives a unique energetic balance or relationship between the elements. I search for the one element that reflects both their greatest strengths and weaknesses.

The meridians are the energetic guardians of our health. Each meridian has particular responsibilities in keeping us well. When the  meridian system is healthy, energy flows freely. When a meridian falls out of balance, its energy can become excessive or inadequate. Meridians can also become blocked – the energy does not flow through them – a sign of great struggle and a pattern of immobility.

In health, energy flows evenly through the system. Each meridian and organ is sharing the responsibility of keeping us well.

Our human health is intimately related to nature and it’s cycles of change. Every day, each meridian enjoys a two-hour peak on the Chinese clock. At the end of each two-hour segment, the energy transfers from one meridian to the next. Do you wake up each night at 3AM? You could have an energetic block between the liver and lung meridian. As the seasons change, the body also goes through a cycle of change. Do you become ill each year in late summer as autumn approaches? You may be struggling with the transition from fire to earth. The Five Element Acupuncturist removes energetic blocks, eases transitions and reestablishes a smooth balanced flow of Qi.

A way of life that honors the whole person does not segment the body, mind and heart. Five Element Acupuncture engages the whole person and in doing so reaches for total health.

Also Read:

Acupuncture – Your First Visit

 

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