Healthy Menstrual Cycle Tip #3: Treating PMS

Many women experience some form of pre-menstrual symptoms (PMS) before their period. Symptoms can include breast tenderness, bloating, mild cramping, headaches/migraines, fatigue, food cravings, low libido, insomnia, emotional fluctuations including anger, anxiety, irritability, depression, sadness, and weepiness.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, the “symptoms” of PMS are seen as patterns that involve the internal organs and/or energy pathways of the body. The Liver, Heart and Spleen are the three major organ systems that are primarily involved with PMS. With acupuncture, herbs, diet, and lifestyle changes, we focus on “smoothing” the liver to have a smoother menstrual cycle.

TCM has been widely and successfully used to treat PMS. Most women respond very well to acupuncture and herbs in combination with dietary changes, exercise, and focusing on your emotional well being. I can support you in discovering what will work best for you to prepare your body for your period. Make an appointment today!

Another great tip is to schedule a massage the week before your period. This is especially helpful for those who get menstrual headaches and muscle tightness before menses.

Healthy Menstrual Cycle Tip #2: Your Basal Body Temperature

Another step towards Menstrual Health, is tracking your Basal Body Temperature (BBT). This entails taking your temperature first thing each morning (as soon as you wake up) and keeping track of your temperature on a chart.

Charting your BBT can provide useful information as to when you are most fertile, which is especially important if you are trying to conceive or trying not to conceive. You will also be more in tune with when your menstrual period should begin, whether you are ovulating, if you have successfully conceived or if there is a possibility of a hormonal imbalance. Taking your waking body temperature is the first step to charting. Read more about it here.

As a practitioner, I find it very helpful to see my patients’ BBT charts. Your temperature can indicate potential imbalances in your cycle, which Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may be able to treat very effectively. For example, temperatures that are too high in the pre-ovulatory (follicular) phase, indicate excess heat, just as temperatures that are too low during the post-ovulatory (luteal) phase indicate deficiency.

A great resource for further reading is Toni Weschler’s book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which goes in depth into charting for natural pregnancy achievement or pregnancy avoidance as well as basic gynecological health.

A Healthy Menstrual Cycle

Many of my female patients have menstrual imbalances and report painful periods, pre-menstrual syndrome, lack of periods, irregular cycles, uterine cysts and fibroids. With most menstrual issues, there are preventative measures that can help you have a smoother period. This will be the first of a series of blog posts with recommendations for a healthy cycle.

In my experience, regular acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas help my clients get amazing results - transforming their period from something to complain about to pain-free periods with minimal pre-menstrual symptoms. With support, women no longer dread their cycles and can experience them with ease. Call today for an acupuncture treatment!

Prevention and Healthy Habit #1: Keep track of your cycle (when your period starts and ends) on your calendar. Day One of your menses is considered the first day that bleeding begins. This helps you know what to expect, helps me treat you more specifically during an acupuncture treatment, can help you feel more connected to your body and to your natural hormonal shifts. You can find out how many days between cycles, when ovulation is expected, and when to prepare for the coming cycle.

6 Food Tips for Autoimmune Disorders

A class of plant chemicals known as bioflavinoids has been found to dramatically reduce inflammation and improve symptoms associated with autoimmune disorders. Here are some examples:

1. Tea: Both green and black tea contain the flavenoids, catechins and theaflavins, which are beneficial in autoimmune disease.
2. Apples: Apples, contain the flavanoid, quercetin that can reduce allergic reactions and decrease inflammation. Quercetin occurs naturally in certain foods, such as apples (with the skin on), berries, red grapes, red onions, capers, and black tea.
3. Carrots: Carotenoids are a family of plant pigments that include beta-carotene. A lack of carotenoids in the diet is thought to promote inflammation. Good sources of carotenoids include apricots, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, kale, butternut squash, and collard greens.
4. Ginger: Recent studies show that ginger reduces inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin and suppresses the immune system's production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reducing disease severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
5. Omega-3: Omega-3 essential fatty acids can counter the formation of chemicals that cause inflammation. Good natural sources include flaxseed oil and salmon.
6. Fiber: A healthy and active colon can decrease food sensitivity, which, in turn, can lighten the burden on your immune system. For maximum autoimmune health, increase the fiber in your diet.

Source: Qi Mail™

Acupuncture and Autoimmune Disease

Treating Autoimmune Disease with Acupuncture

Over 50 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease; an autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue. Autoimmune disorders include Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid disease, Addison's disease, pernicious anemia, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and Guillain–Barré syndrome. Due to the complexity of treating autoimmune disorders, integrative medicine solutions including acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have received much attention as successful therapies in their treatment. Acupuncture is specifically noted for its use in pain relief, regulating the immune system, managing symptoms and improving quality of life.

What Causes Autoimmune Disease?

Under normal conditions, an immune response cannot be triggered against the cells of one's own body. In certain cases, however, immune cells make a mistake and attack the very cells that they are meant to protect. This can lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases. They encompass a broad category of over 100 diseases in which the person's immune system attacks his or her own tissue.

The exact mechanisms causing these changes are not completely understood, but bacteria, viruses, toxins, and some drugs may play a role in triggering an autoimmune process in someone who already has a genetic (inherited) predisposition to develop such a disorder. It is theorized that the inflammation initiated by these agents, toxic or infectious, somehow provokes in the body a "sensitization" (autoimmune reaction) in the involved tissues.

As the disease develops vague symptoms start to appear, such as joint and muscle pain, general muscle weakness, possible rashes or low-grade fever, trouble concentrating, or weight loss. The following symptoms may point toward something being wrong: numbness and tingling in hands and feet, dry eyes, hair loss, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or repeated miscarriages can also be caused by an autoimmune response.

How Acupuncture Treats Autoimmune Disorders

According to TCM, autoimmune disorders occur when there is imbalance within the body. Imbalance can come from an excess or deficiency of yin and yang that disrupts the flow of qi, or vital energy, through the body. Acupuncture is used to help the body restore balance, treating the root of the disorder, while specifically addressing the symptoms that are unique to each individual.

Clinical research has shown that acupuncture causes physical responses in nerve cells, the pituitary gland, and parts of the brain. These responses can cause the body to release proteins, hormones, and brain chemicals that control a number of body functions. It is proposed that, by these actions, acupuncture affects blood pressure, body temperature and the immune system.

In addition to acupuncture, your treatment program to manage your autoimmune disorder may involve a combination of therapies including stress reducing exercises, moderate physical activity, herbal medicine, nutritional support and bodywork.

To learn more about how acupuncture can safely and effectively be incorporated into care for people with an autoimmune disorder, please call for a consultation today.

Source: Qi Mail™

Fight that Cold ... With an Acupuncture Treatment!

Another wave of colds and flus seem to be in the air. This week, many of my patients cancelled their acupuncture appointments due to illness. Most of them expressed concern about spreading illness by coming in. While it is recommended to limit your activity out in public to keep from spreading illness, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is very effective at treating acute colds. I encourage my patients to keep their appointments with me when they are sick. If you come in for a treatment, especially if it's at the beginning of the illness, TCM can shorten the duration of the cold.

The TCM theory behind the common cold is that an external pathogen (cold/flu) has entered into our system (body). Our first defense, and most common area of entry, is through the mucus membranes of the nose and throat. If we can push the pathogen out of our body, using acupuncture and herbs, then there is less likelihood for symptoms to worsen and for the pathogen to penetrate deeper. We all know when a simple cold moves into the lungs, for example, it can cause more intense flu-like symptoms or infections. And then what often follows is that lingering cough that just never seems to go away! It is important to treat a cold as soon as possible to stop it in its tracks. So, next time you start to feel run down and a cold coming on, make an appointment! Let TCM help you get back on your feet and back to your life!

A Good Foot Soak to Strengthen Your Kidneys

Many of my patients experience having cold feet, especially at night. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) terms, this might be a symptom of Kidney deficiency, which can be the root of many conditions. Strengthening the Kidneys is especially important if you experience anxiety, difficulty sleeping, or difficulty conceiving.

Soaking your feet in warm water for 10-20 minutes per day is good for body and mind. It improves circulation throughout your body and especially to your pelvic organs and reproductive system. It is very grounding for our mind and spirit. A good foot soak can help to calm a racing heart or wandering thoughts. And it is, of course, very relaxing!