Acupuncture and Fertility

Acupuncture, frequently combined with herbal medicine, has been used for centuries to treat infertility. Recently several studies from Scandinavia, the U.S. and Israel have confirmed the positive role acupuncture has in combating infertility. Stress is a recognized factor in reducing fertility. Because of the delicate balance between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and reproductive glands, stress can… Read more »

Treating Eye Disease with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs

Acupuncture has been used for more than 3,000 years to treat eye disease. By inserting tiny needles into the skin (not in the eyes or eyeball), the therapy can help preserve vision for those with a wide range of eye conditions including dry eyes, eye floaters, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. When the macular begins… Read more »

Acupuncture for Prostate and Incontinence

It is important to remember that practitioners were successfully treating health conditions long before western medicine was developed. Fortunately, the medical community is now starting to recognize the value of many time-tested therapies including nutrition, body manipulation and acupuncture. Many of our forebears may have suffered from prostate issues and incontinence; Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)… Read more »

The Different Styles of Acupuncture

When people choose to try acupuncture, most do not realize that there are various styles practiced originating from different countries and differing schools of thought. In the US most acupuncturists are trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which originated in China more than 5,000 years ago. In antiquity, needles were not used; in fact, what… Read more »

Ear Acupuncture for Addiction, Pain and Anxiety

As a registered nurse, I have been with Eisenhower Medical Center and the Betty Ford Center for 29 years. I became an acupuncturist 15 years ago and have had impressive results treating patients with auricular (ear) acupuncture for chemical dependency, alcohol withdrawal, anxiety and pain. The ear is innervated (has nerve supply) from three major… Read more »

Pulse Diagnosis

Feeling a patient’s pulse is a diagnostic technique used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), as well as traditional Tibetan and Indian Ayurveda medicine. Using the pulse to determine body functions, deficiencies or imbalances dates back thousands of years and has changed over the course of time.  Today there are many styles of this diagnostic tool… Read more »

Weight Loss with Traditional Chinese Medicine

As the days shorten and holiday festivities loom, so does the prospect of seasonal weight gain. Is it possible to prevent the inevitable cycle of gain and loss, or of denial and guilty indulgence that recur time and again? Fortunately, a balanced, systematic approach that includes acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can offer a solution.… Read more »

The Ancient Ayurveda Practice of Shirodhara

Ayurveda is an ancient practice of healing which views health and disease from a unique perspective. According to Ayurveda, there are five components that can change or influence our energy flow: the food we eat, the quality of our thoughts, the quality of movement (exercise), compassionate touch and most importantly, the giving and receiving of… Read more »

Western Science Confirms Acupuncture Meridians

The foundational belief of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC) relies on a system of pathways called meridians that transport QI, or energy, throughout the body and upon which acupuncture points are located. This system and the paths it follows were first delineated around 2,500 BCE, and are still referred to, largely unchanged, today. However, Western science… Read more »

What Is Qi?

The concept of Qi dates back to the beginning of Chinese civilization. It has been translated as “vital energy,” “life force,” or “breath” but no single English word will suffice, perhaps because the nature of Qi is that it can have different manifestations in different situations. The Chinese character for Qi means vapor, gas, air… Read more »

TCM for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

We all get tired, but sometimes “tired” is insufficient to describe a serious condition. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is far more than just being tired.  This baffling and little understood affliction is a complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue, often associated with muscle and joint pain. It may worsen with physical or mental activity and… Read more »

Addiction: East Meets West for Long-Term Recovery

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you understand on a deep and intimate level the desperation to do whatever it takes to recover. Addiction professionals, counselors, doctors, scientists, clergy and many others continue to search for a cure-all for the mental, emotional, relational, and financial trail of devastation that chemical dependency… Read more »

Acupuncture For Pre- and Post-Surgery

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) takes a holistic approach to health and regards illness as a sign that the body is out of balance. Unlike western biomedical science, TCM does not make a distinction between the physical, mental, and emotional components of life. Acupuncture indirectly stimulates the central nervous system (CNS). When an acupuncture needle is… Read more »