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How Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can support your New Year’s resolutions

A new approach to support your New Year’s resolutions

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are a great option to support your New Year’s resolutions. When our energy is not flowing smoothly, then physical, mental, or emotional pain, discomfort, and illness can result.  Acupuncture and Chinese medicine help restore the optimal flow of energy so the body can heal itself. Therefore, it is effective in helping with a multitude of challenges people face. This includes supporting New Year’s resolutions.

 

Top New Year’s Resolutions

Below are some of the top New Year’s resolutions for 2024 and how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help.

 

Lose weight

This is usually the #1 New Year’s resolution, especially after all of the holiday eating and drinking. People gain weight over the holidays, realize they don’t feel well, and want to shed the extra weight. Check out my blog How acupuncture and ear seeds can help you lose weight for help with this resolution. Not surprisingly, the weight loss ear seed kit is the #1 most popular ear seed kit sold.

 

Quit smoking

Many smokers want to quit, and find that they don’t have the support and resources they need. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help with the cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and even the motivation to quit. Read more in my blog How acupuncture and ear seeds can help you stop smoking.

 

Drink less alcohol

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are great for helping with additive behaviors, including excessive alcohol consumption. There is a proven ear acupuncture protocol that is very helpful for addiction. As with smoking and weight loss, treatment can also help reduce cravings.

 

Eat healthier

This is a particularly interesting resolution because not all healthy foods are beneficial for everyone. For example, eating cold raw salads for dinner every night in the winter can actually cause loose stools and low energy in some people. In acupuncture and Chinese medicine, we look at the patient’s overall constitution and energetic balance to understand what is going on specifically with their body. From there, we can make recommendations for what foods would best support their health.

 

Reduce stress

The Mayo Clinic’s article on stress management shares that stress can have a negative effect on the body, mood, and behavior. It can lead to a variety of health issues including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Reducing stress can have a huge effect on overall health and well-being, and is an excellent choice for a New Year’s resolution. See more in my blog Acupuncture for stress and anxiety.

 

Get better sleep

Quality sleep is so important to our health. A lack of sufficient sleep has been linked to weight gain, cognitive decline, and an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. We do our best healing when we sleep. Learn how to create healthy sleep habits in my blog: Improve your sleep with acupuncture

 

Can’t decide? Acupuncture & Chinese medicine can help with that too

Having trouble deciding what you want to focus on in 2024? There are so many exciting and important things to learn and focus on that it can be difficult to narrow it down and prioritize. That’s where gall bladder energy comes in. In Chinese medicine, gall bladder energy is responsible for decision making. Strengthening gall bladder energy can make decisions much easier.

 

Do you have a resolution or health concern you’d like support with that you don’t see here? Have a look at my blog What acupuncture can treat- it may surprise you! to learn more about common conditions treated.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help you support your New Year’s resolutions? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out and email me through our website or call or text 910-622-4269.

 

About the Author

Ericca Burke is the owner of HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine where she provides acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments in Wilmington, NC. Click this link to read more about Ericca. 

The benefits of acupuncture and therapeutic massage

therapeutic massage

Acupuncture and therapeutic massage

Acupuncture and therapeutic massage are a powerful healing combination. Over the years, many patients have asked me about massage, and I recently decided to expand my practice to include therapeutic massage. I am a strong believer in complementary healing modalities, and I personally love massage. It’s a wonderful tool to include in your self-care toolkit.

 

Therapeutic massage

Therapeutic massage is a type of massage that involves focused work on soft tissues of the body, specifically, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It is sometimes referred to as a medical massage. Therapeutic massage helps release tension, improve range of motion, and heal injuries. This type of massage can also help relieve pain, elicit the relaxation response, reduce stress, and improve your mood. Each individual receives a massage customized to their specific needs.  Many pioneering medical institutions like the Cleveland Clinic advocate the benefits of massage, as shown in this Cleveland Clinic article titled Why You Should Try Medical or Therapeutic Massage.

 

Chair massage

 As I was brainstorming on massage offerings, the licensed massage therapist who joined my practice suggested offering chair massage in addition to the traditional 60- and 90-minute full body massage sessions. I was excited to find a variety of research articles detailing the benefits from a 15-minute chair massage. Specifically, research has shown that just 15 minutes in a massage chair has many benefits including reducing tension, stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure, increasing blood circulation, and strengthening the immune system.

Here are links to a sampling of research studies showing the benefits of a 15-minute chair massage:

 

How a chair massage works

A chair massage is a massage performed while you are seated in a specialized massage chair that is ergonomically positioned. Your face rests in a comfortable headrest, and special arm rests support your arms. This allows the body to relax, and the massage therapist focuses on relieving tension in the neck, shoulders, and back. The massage is done through the clothes, so there is no need to change or shower after the session. It’s a very efficient way to get quick tension relief.

 

How to combine acupuncture and massage

I have found many conflicting recommendations on how to best combine acupuncture and massage. Some suggest massage first, then acupuncture. Some suggest the opposite. Others suggest separating the two by varying amounts of time.

 

In my Classical Chinese medicine training, we were taught to recommend separating treatments by at least 24 hours. This is because our energetic body follows a schedule called the Chinese organ body clock. Every two hours a different organ system is either at its peak function of activity or its lowest activity or time of rest, just like the tides in the ocean. There are 12 different organ systems that follow this schedule over a 24-hour period. You can learn more about this topic in my blog about the Chinese organ body clock.

 

Waiting 24 hours after an acupuncture treatment or a massage gives your body time to fully take in and process the energetic message you received from your treatment. I often suggest to patients that they consider alternating weekly acupuncture and massage treatments. For example, they have an acupuncture treatment one week and then a massage treatment the following week. This is not to say that following a different schedule will not be effective, rather, it’s a way to ensure the body fully processes the benefit from the specific treatment with no other influences.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and therapeutic massage can help you? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out and email me through our website or call or text 910-622-4269.

 

About the Author

Ericca Burke is the owner of HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine where she provides acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments in Wilmington, NC. Click this link to read more about Ericca. 

 

About HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in Wilmington, NC

HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice located in Wilmington, NC just minutes from beautiful Wrightsville Beach. Click this link for contact information and directionsClick this link for a listing and description of services offered.

Support your mental health with acupuncture and Chinese medicine

mental health

 Background on mental health, acupuncture and Chinese medicine

May is mental health awareness month. The American Hospital Association shares that “May is a time to raise awareness of and reduce the stigma surrounding behavioral health issues, as well as highlighting the ways how mental illness and addiction can affect all of us – patients, providers, families, and our society at large.” One of the many things I love about Chinese medicine is that in Chinese medicine, an emotional or mental event is just as important as a physical one.

 

The organ systems and emotions

There are 12 primary acupuncture channels in the body where “qi” or energy flows through the body. These channels follow a structure much like the cardiovascular or the lymphatic system.  The channels are classified as yin or yang channels depending on the organ they are associated with.  The liver, heart, spleen, lung, liver, and kidney are five of the primary acupuncture channels. They each have a set of energetic properties, including an associated emotion.

 

These are the emotions associated with each of the yin organs:

  • Liver: Anger, also seen as frustration, irritability
  • Heart: Joy
  • Spleen: Worry, also seen as overthinking, ruminating
  • Lung: Grief, also seen as depression
  • Kidney: Fear

 

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments for mental health

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine focus on identifying where the body’s energy flow needs support. A primary goal is to help restore the optimal flow of energy so the body can heal itself. This includes supporting mental health. When designing a treatment plan, my goal is to help restore the proper balance of energy in your body and address your specific concerns. Every person is unique and receives a treatment customized specifically to their needs.

 

Most often, the treatment includes acupuncture needles. The needles stimulate points in the body where “qi” or energy gathers and help direct and balance energy flow. They are a quick and effective way to balance energy. Additionally, acupuncture needles release endorphins as reported in many research articles, including this one in Neuroscience Letters journal and this one in Science journal.

 

Some treatments include ear seeds. An ear seed is a small sphere. It stimulates an acupuncture point on the surface of the ear. Ear seeds attach to the ear with adhesive tape that looks like a band aid or clear surgical tape. They work by exerting a gentle pressure on the acupuncture point. Patients can wear ear seeds for up to five days. I love to use ear seeds because they are a great way to continue the treatment at home.  You can read more about ear seeds in the All about ear seeds and auriculotherapy blog.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can support your mental health and well-being? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out and email me through our website or call or text 910-622-4269.

 

About the Author

Ericca Burke is the owner of HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine where she provides acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments in Wilmington, NC. Click this link to read more about Ericca. 

 

About HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in Wilmington, NC

HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice located in Wilmington, NC just minutes from beautiful Wrightsville Beach. Click this link for contact information and directions. Click this link for a listing and description of services offered.

 

Acupuncture for Menopause

acupuncture for menopause

Background on acupuncture for menopause

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be a great support for menopause. The National Institute on Aging defines menopause as a point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period.  The time leading up to and after that event is called perimenopause. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. During this time, women can experience a variety of symptoms including hot flashes, palpitations, digestive issues, insomnia, and mood changes.  Women have many options to get support during this important life change. One of those options is acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

 

Why acupuncture and Chinese medicine are a great option for supporting menopause

Here are some of the many reasons why acupuncture and Chinese medicine are a great option for supporting menopause:

  • It is oldest recorded medicine and is thousands of years old
  • It focuses on whole body wellness rather than the treatment of or fighting a disease or painful condition
  • It takes a holistic approach – body, mind, and spirit
  • An emotional or mental event is just as important as a physical one
  • It focuses on the individual
  • It is complementary to other healing modalities, including western medicine, massage, chiropractic, therapy, and others

 

A holistic and individualized perspective

An important facet of Chinese medicine is that all signs and symptoms are understood in relationship to the others. In western medicine, you’re likely to get prescribed different medications for each of your symptoms, and perhaps referrals to various specialists. In Chinese medicine, the symptoms often relate to underlying patterns of disharmony that can be addressed as a whole.

 

Additionally, Chinese medicine is individualized. There is no one size fits all treatment strategy For example, we might have five women experiencing hot flashes. But each one may be experiencing hot flashes for very different reasons, and it’s important to understand why and what’s going on with each woman at a foundational level so we can understand the root cause and give her the specific support she needs.

 

Yin and yang in relation to menopause

One of the most fundamental concepts in Chinese medicine is yin and yang. Yin is nurturing, cooling energy. Yang is warming, quick energy. They complement each other and are defined in comparison to one another.

 

When yin and yang are out of balance, disorder and discomfort can arise. I see this often in patients going through menopause. Typically, they have an excess of yang energy and a deficiency of yin energy. The yin energy is needed to hold down the yang energy. When there is not enough yin, it does not adequately hold down the yang, and hot quick energy flows upward in the body. In other words, a hot flash.

 

Why does this happen, you might ask? Well, it can be quite simple. Women today have a lot of responsibilities. We do it all. We take care of everyone and everything. We’re also rewarded by how productive we can be, how many accomplishments we can have, how many plates we can juggle.  That is all yang energy. Most of us are not balancing this with yin activities, like resting, meditating, quiet stretching. Too much yang, and not enough yin.

 

Qi and menopause

Another important concept in Chinese medicine is qi. Qi refers to energy, or life force. Qi is running through our body, and in particular, in what are called channels or meridians. We have channels of energy that flow through our bodies just like we have arteries and veins. One thing that’s key for optimal health and wellbeing is the free and smooth flow of qi. When our qi stagnates, dis-ease can result. An injury can cause stagnation of qi, for example, a broken bone, a cut, or stitches.

 

An interesting emotional situation that can cause qi to stagnate is when we feel mentally stuck. Have you even been in a situation where you feel like you have no ability to change it, and no outlet for your frustration? That kind of stuck mental feeling is a reflection of qi stagnation.  How about feeling like you have no down time, are you always behind, running late, don’t have enough time to do all that you need or want to do? That’s also what qi stagnation feels like.

 

One of the things I like most about Chinese medicine is that if focuses on optimizing the flow of energy so that they body can heal itself. The body has innate wisdom and knows what it needs to be healthy. When our energy is not balanced, disharmony, illness, and pain can result. Chinese medicine helps restore the smooth flow so the body can focus on healing itself.

 

Aging beautifully

As we age, what we look like changes. It can be unsettling.  It can even be scary. As we enter this phase of life, some of us may question our worth, our value, or our purpose. Our intrinsic beauty and wisdom that is emerging may not be obvious to us.

 

How we look, and more importantly, how we feel about how we look, can have a big impact on how we feel about ourselves. It’s ok, and normal, to want to be the best version of ourselves and to want to enhance and maximize our beauty.  That can be an important part of self-care. Some of us might consider face lifts, botox, injectables, and things of that nature. Others may want to do those things but are concerned about the invasiveness and possible side effects of those procedures.

 

Light therapy is a wonderful non-invasive way to enhance your natural beauty. Light therapy is the use of specific wavelengths of light to produce therapeutic benefits. The light we have at HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese medicine has red, blue and yellow lights which provide a number of benefits, that include things like stimulating collagen production that helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles, healing acne and skin conditions like eczema and rosacea. It does not have any UV rays and in fact helps heal sun damage. It can also stimulate hair growth. You can read more about light therapy in my blog The benefits of light therapy.

 

Relaxation is key

Another thing to consider is relaxation. Chinese face readers say that when we get to be in our middle ages, our faces reflect what we think and feel. Relaxation is a key to good health, beauty, and menopause. Relaxation is the ultimate way to nurture and increase your yin energy to balance that busy yang energy. Consistency is important. Ideally, something you do every day for yourself, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Want to know more and get some ideas? Read my blog on Healing yourself with the relaxation response.

 

Ear seeds for menopause

Ear seeds can also be very helpful for menopause. An ear seed is a small sphere placed on an acupuncture point on the surface of the ear. Adhesive tape holds the ear seed in place. It works by exerting a gentle pressure on the acupuncture point. A patient can wear ear seeds for up to five days. They are a great way to continue treatment at home. Ear seed kits are also available for people who are afraid of needles. You can learn more about ear seeds in my blog All about ear seeds and auriculotherapy.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help you with menopause? If so, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out and email me through our website or call or text 910-622-4269.

 

About the Author

Ericca Burke is the owner of HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine where she provides acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments in Wilmington, NC. Click this link to read more about Ericca. 

 

About HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in Wilmington, NC

HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice located in Wilmington, NC just minutes from beautiful Wrightsville Beach. Click this link for contact information and directions. Click this link for a listing and description of services offered.

Nourish your skin with hydrosols

nourish your skin with hydrosols

What are hydrosols and how can they nourish your skin?

Hydrosols are aromatic waters that are produced from distilling flowers, fruits, leaves, and other plant materials with hot steam. They are also known as “flower waters” or “floral waters”.  Hydrosols are much less concentrated and more gentle than essential oils. They have a lighter, more delicate scent than an essential oil. Their production dates back to the early 1500s. Hydrosols nourish your skin by delivering a fine mist of therapeutic plant essence to your skin.

A true hydrosol is produced by hot steam distillation, and fresh plants are used rather than dried plants. It is recommended to select a hydrosol that is made from a dedicated water distillation rather than a water that is collected as s byproduct of an essential oil production. A dedicated water distillation ensures a more potent, therapeutic, and fragrant content of essential oil in the hydrosol. Additionally, some products are marketed as hydrosols that are made from reconstituted water and essential oil with chemical dispersants added.

 

How to use hydrosols

Hydrosols provide moisture and nourishment to the skin. One great way to use them is to spray lightly around the face and neckline for a soothing, reviving mist. Mist throughout the day to freshen the face. Hydrosols are wonderful for maintaining moist, healthy skin, as well as nourishing skin that is dry from travel, air conditioning or heat, and stress. They’re a great pick me up, and can feel like a treat to take a revitalizing break during the day. Close your eyes, give a gentle spray to the face and neck, inhale, and exhale with a smile.

 

Use hydrosols in a more concentrated form to treat specific skin conditions. For skin care, after cleansing, spray a cotton ball or compress about five times and apply to the face and neckline. Follow with your favorite serum and / or moisturizer. Finish with another spray of the hydrosol if desired.

 

Hydrosols can also be used as room sprays. They are great for refreshing the air in a room, whether in a dry or warm climate. Mist freely to add a subtle fragrance to any room. Hydrosols can refresh, revitalize, and deodorize a space. They can also clear negative energy from a space.

 

Our preferred hydrosol source

We prefer Snow Lotus hydrosols at HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese medicine. Snow Lotus crafts hydrosols from organically cultivated and ethically wild harvested fresh plant sources. They are genuine hydrosols produced through hot steam distillation dedicated to creating the hydrosol. Snow Lotus hydrosols are wonderfully fragrant and therapeutically potent. Snow Lotus is a California-based company founded by Licensed Acupuncturist and Medical Herbalist Peter Holmes. Peter personally sources and selects plants and oils directly from the artisans who grow and distill the plants. He selects artisans who focus on regional biodiversity and sustainability.

 

Our favorite hydrosols

We love using the following Snow Lotus hydrosols at HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese medicine. Here are some of our favorites:

 

Chamomile

Origin: France

Properties: Relaxing, sensuous, cooling, and soothing.

Best for: All skin types, especially sensitive and combination.

Additional benefits: Very gentle.

 

Geranium

Origin: France

Properties: Relaxing, soothing, harmonizing.

Best for: Mature, oily, and sensitive.

Additional benefits: Anti-inflammatory, heals broken capillaries, wrinkles, stretch marks, bruises, wounds, ulcers, acne, boils, and rosacea.

 

Helichrysum

Origin: France

Properties: Soothing, sensual, nurturing.

Best for: All skin types, especially sensitive or delicate.

Additional benefits: Toning, firming. Healing and soothing properties treat damaged skin, broken capillaries, and veins, stretch marks, and mild cuts. Soothes irritated skin, inflammation, and itching, including sunburn, eczema, rosacea, and shingles.

 

Lavender

Origin: USA, California

Properties: Soothing, refreshing, rejuvenating.

Best for: All skin types.

Additional benefits: Calming to irritated and ‘hot’ skin.

 

Lindenflower

Origin: France

Properties: Harmonizing, calming, soothing.

Best for: Dry, delicate or combination skin.

Additional benefits: Soothing and cooling for skin irritation, sunburn, scalds, rashes.

 

Neroli (Orange blossom)

Origin: France

Properties: Uplifting, clearing, euphoric.

Best for: All skin types, especially sensitive skin.

Additional benefits: Hydrating delicate or sensitive skin.

 

Rose

Origin: Bulgaria

Properties: Harmonizing, calming, soothing, nurturing.

Best for: All skin types, especially dry, delicate, or mature skin.

Additional benefits: Very hydrating, soothing, and conditioning on the skin.

 

Want to know more about how to nourish your skin with hydrosols and the treatments available at HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese medicine?  If so, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out and email through our website or call or text 910-622-4269.

 

About the Author

Ericca Burke is the owner of HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine where she provides acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments in Wilmington, NC. Click this link to read more about Ericca. 

 

About HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in Wilmington, NC

HAVEN Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice located in Wilmington, NC just minutes from beautiful Wrightsville Beach. Click this link for contact information and directionsClick this link for a listing and description of services offered.