Reading pretty much anything health-related these days may make you believe that all inflammation is evil and should be avoided at all costs. But, like most things in true healthcare (and not sick-care!), there is a balance. Inflammation is not always the enemy! On one hand, short-term inflammation is a very good thing. When you injure… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Pain relief
Acupuncture for Arthritis!
May is Arthritis Awareness Month in the US, so it seems like the perfect time to dive into a topic that I get asked about a lot. More specifically, I usually don’t even get asked a question, but instead get some version of a statement such as: “I have a lot of knee pain, but… Read more »
What is Cupping Therapy?
By now you’ve probably seen the marks. Athletes, celebrities and probably some of your friends are sporting circular marks on their backs and shoulders that make it look like they got into a fight with a vacuum cleaner. Those marks are from cupping therapy, and are different from typical bruises in important ways. Typically, bruises occur… Read more »
What’s In Your Herbal Medicine Cabinet?
Whenever someone gets sick in our house, we commonly use herbs as a first line of defense. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy that antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals are an option when appropriate, but if I can use gentler, safer alternatives BEFORE an issue needs the big pharmaceutical guns, I am all for… Read more »
Acupuncture for back pain and anxiety in pregnancy
My wife and I welcomed our first daughter to the world during my 2nd semester of acupuncture school. Not the greatest timing given how much I was giving (mentally and financially) to my education at the time, but we decided to start trying to conceive expecting it to take some time… apparently we are among… Read more »
6 Steps to Treat Low Back Pain Naturally
The vast majority of us have had or will have low back pain at some point in our lives. If you’re active, or sit for long periods of time, you are more likely to experience discomfort. In fact, low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide AND the #1 reason for missed work… Read more »
Can Acupuncture Help with Neuropathy?
People suffering with neuropathy (approximately 20 million Americans) are given very few options when it comes to effective treatment for the symptoms. Pharmaceuticals are a large part of standard care, and exercise, nutrition and footwear recommendations are sometimes given as well. Beyond those, many people suffering from neuropathy are told to try to come to… Read more »
Understanding and Resetting the Chronic Pain Response
At some point in your life, you will experience pain. That is a universal truth if I’ve ever heard one. Everyone has painful experiences with initial traumas occuring at the physical level (spraining an ankle, breaking a bone or stubbing a toe to name a few) or the psycho-emotional level (heartbreak, verbal abuse or loss… Read more »
Acupuncture for Sports Injury & Pain Relief
I have been interested in using acupuncture for sports injuries and musculoskeletal pain ever since it helped me finally get over my own back pain. I have always been an athlete so I was no stranger to banging up my body, allowing it to heal and then going on to the next event. And then… Read more »