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The value of regular acupuncture treatments

regular acupuncture treatments

An early case for preventative medicine

Regular acupuncture treatments are a great form of preventative medicine. This is the way medicine was practiced in ancient times as documented in the classics, which are ancient Chinese medical texts. “The sage does not treat those who are ill but those who are well.” This is a quote from the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, the oldest surviving book on Chinese medicine. Legend has it that ancient Chinese doctors were paid to keep patients well, and they would not be paid if patients became sick.

 

Routine acupuncture treatments help manage stress

Stress is a major cause of disease. The research paper Inflammation: The Common Pathway of Stress-Related Diseases in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Journal states that “Stress is the common risk factor of 75%–90% diseases”. The paper lists the most common overall stress-related diseases as follows:

  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Metabolic diseases like diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Psychological and neurodegenerative disorders like depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease

 

Additionally, a report shared in the National Library of Medicine states that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 75% of doctor visits are stress-related with complaints including:

  • Headache
  • Back pain
  • Heart problems
  • Upset stomach
  • Stomach ulcer
  • Sleep problems
  • Tiredness and accidents

 

Furthermore, the Occupational Health and Safety news and the National Council on compensation of insurance have an even higher estimate, stating that up to 90% of all doctor visits are for stress-related complaints. Stress reduction is key to maintaining well-being and preventing disease. Acupuncture treatments promote the relaxation response and are very effective in managing stress. Please see my blog Healing yourself with the relaxation response for details about the relaxation response.

 

Maintenance

Regular acupuncture treatments promote wellness and help reduce stress. By comparison, it is well understood that regular exercise maintains muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness. We can start an exercise program where we go to the gym for eight weeks and achieve the results we want. If we stop going to the gym completely, over time our bodies will return to the way they were before. We know that we need to shift into a maintenance exercise routine to maintain our overall muscle tone and cardiovascular health.

 

Similarly, patients find it beneficial to continue with maintenance acupuncture treatments on a regular basis to maintain their results and prevent symptom recurrence. I typically recommend monthly treatments for maintenance, but even every two or three months can be beneficial.

 

Additional benefits of regular acupuncture treatments

Please consider regular acupuncture treatments as investment in your well-being. I share personalized lifestyle recommendations with my patients.  They are often inspired to create positive changes that enhance their longevity and health. This might include nutritional considerations, mindfulness, and even qigong exercise. The better we feel, the more motivated we are to choose healthy habits.  When we balance our body, mind, and spirit, we feel wonderful and fulfilled.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help you? We’d love to hear from you. Please click this link to schedule a free 10-minute call with our senior scheduling receptionist who will be happy to answer any questions you have and advise you on the best services and practitioner to meet your unique needs.

 

Any further questions? Please reach out and email us 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.

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? We’d love to hear from you. Please click this link to schedule a free 10-minute call with our senior scheduling receptionist who will be happy to answer any questions you have and advise you on the best services and practitioner to meet your unique needs.

 

Any further questions? Please reach out and email us 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? We’d love to hear from you. Please click this link to schedule a free 10-minute call with our senior scheduling receptionist who will be happy to answer any questions you have and advise you on the best services and practitioner to meet your unique needs.

 

Any further questions? Please reach out and email us 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. It is 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. Please click this link to schedule a free 10-minute call with our senior scheduling receptionist who will be happy to answer any questions you have and advise you on the best services and practitioner to meet your unique needs.

Any further questions? Please reach out and email us 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.

What acupuncture can treat – it may surprise you!

acupuncture can treat

I had no idea that acupuncture can treat all that!

People often ask me what acupuncture can treat. They are usually surprised by my response. I tell them that acupuncture can treat almost anything that is causing someone to feel unwell. That is, except for life threatening or acute conditions like a heart attack, stroke, or severe bleeding. In those cases, I advise a prompt trip to the emergency room. So, why would I make such a broad statement about acupuncture? Acupuncture and Chinese medicine focus on identifying where the body’s energy flow needs support. If a person’s energy is blocked, excessive or deficient, then 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.

 

Examples of conditions that acupuncture can treat

Dermatological

  • Acne
  • Eczema
  • Pruritus
  • Psoriasis
  • Rosacea
  • Rashes / hives
  • Dryness
  • Swelling
  • Wrinkles
  • Sagging skin

Digestive

  • Heartburn
  • Acid Reflux
  • Bloating
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • Chronic indigestion
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Peptic ulcer
  • Acute and chronic gastritis
  • Morning sickness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Side effects of chemotherapy

ENT / Respiratory Pain

  • Sinusitis
  • Colds / Flu
  • Cough
  • Allergies / wheezing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sore throat
  • Hearing issues
  • Tinnitus
  • Symptoms from long COVID

A note on allergies – people are surprised to learn that acupuncture can even treat the “red meat allergy” to alpha gal, where someone is not able to consume red meat or products containing alpha galactose. You can read more about the treatment for the alpha gal allergy in my blog How auricular acupuncture can help the alpha gal allergy.

 

 Mental & Emotional Wellbeing

  • Stress
  • Anxiety, palpitations
  • Insomnia
  • Depression
  • Grief, healing from trauma
  • Weight loss / loss of appetite
  • Smoking cessation
  • Addiction

Neurological

  • Dizziness
  • Vertigo
  • Vision issues
  • Twitches, tics, tremors
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Bell’s palsy
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Recovery from stroke

Pain

  • Sports injuries
  •  Muscle pain and cramps
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Sciatica
  • Back, neck and shoulder pain
  • Leg, ankle and foot pain
  •  Arm, wrist and hand pain
  • Knee pain
  • Hip pain
  • Tennis Elbow
  • Repetitive strain injuries
  • Jaw pain (TMJ)
  • Dental pain
  • Arthritis
  • Tendonitis
  • Myofascial pain
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Eye pain
  • Postoperative pain
  • Cold hands / feet

Reproductive / Genitourinary

  • Menstrual issues
  • Fertility
  • Menopause
  • Hot flashes / night sweats
  • Incontinence

 

Articles about what acupuncture can treat

Here are links to articles from the Mayo Clinic,  Johns Hopkins Medicine, and the Cleveland Clinic that describe conditions that acupuncture can help.

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help you? We’d love to hear from you. Please click this link to schedule a free 10-minute call with our senior scheduling receptionist who will be happy to answer any questions you have and advise you on the best services and practitioner to meet your unique needs.

Any further questions? Please reach out and email us 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.