My Journey to China (Reflection)

I have to say when I embarked on this journey fitteen years ago, I would have never imagined I would be heading back to China for my Ph.D.

As I take a deep breath and release a big sigh, I am humbled and so very thankful. Thankful  for all of the amazing teachers and doctors that shared their knowledge and time to get me where I am today. A special thanks to my dear friend and colleague, Linda Carrington, for all the late night edits and for being my sounding board to bounce ideas off of during my dissertation. Most of all, the support of my confidant and love of my life, Mrs. Tricia Baughman. Thank you Tricia, for your selflessness and for tolerating my selfish love affair to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

One of the main reasons I became intrigued in Traditional Chinese Medicine was because of my grandmother, Watraud Gabi Cruz. In 2004 she decided to transition from this plane to the next. I like to call it her rebirth. One of her last words to me was, “Jennifer, when are you going to do something with your life?”

Not only did her question penetrate my soul, but I was dishearten to see our medical system fail her. As cancer ravaged her body, all our doctors could do was keep her comfortable with morphine!

I truly could not understand. My stubbornness would not let me believe that was the only way. We all have cancer cells in our body, why did her’s turn on and take over?

That is when my thirst from the inexhaustible sea of knowledge began and has taken me to this very moment on a plane to Shanghai.

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Is Pediatric Acupuncture Right For Your Kids?

Acupuncture has surprising advantages for kids with health concerns. One of the biggest? Few side effects! A lot of kids are medication-sensitive, and acupuncture doesn’t have the side effects of medication. Acupuncture for children has helped with a wide range of ailments, from headaches, stomachaches, back pain, depression to the effects of ADHD, and is a safe alternative to pharmaceuticals that many parents do not want their children taking. Increasingly more parents are turning to acupuncture as an effective and necessary method of reestablishing and maintaining health within their children’s constitution.

Another advantage is fewer doctor visits. TCM, and acupuncture specifically, can address multiple symptoms in a single treatment just by different point selection.

More than a pain reliever

Many think acupuncture is just for pain. It can encourage the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. But acupuncture helps children and teens with a wide range of issues, including:

• Sleep problems

• Anxiety

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Reflux, nausea and stomach pain

• Bone and joint pain

• ADHD

• Asthma and allergies

• Bedwetting

• Drooling

Getting to the point

In acupuncture, local, regional or global (body-wide) points are selected to achieve different effects. You can stimulate some of these points or you can calm them in order to reduce certain symptoms.

This is done by:

• Gently inserting needles

• Using laser stimulation

• Electrical stimulation

• Acupressure (gentle massage of points)

One step at a time

If children are reluctant to try needles, our practitioners are careful to explain that acupuncture needles are different from the needles used to draw blood. They are hair-thin and nearly painless.

We can introduce acupressure as the first option for things that might be too painful or anxiety-provoking.  

 Laser acupuncture can help children who are extremely sensitive to needles. When things calm down a little bit, we can introduce needles for greater effect.

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The Yin and Yang of Hormonal Balance

Hormones are chemical messengers that influence the way our cells and organs function. There are many different types of hormones in the body and although each has a different function, they are all influenced by another. Hormones are produced, stored and secreted via a network of glands, which make up our endocrine system. They control growth, development, reproduction, metabolism, mood, sleep and digestion.

Hormone levels fluctuate naturally and are part of our inbuilt life cycle. For a woman it is normal for hormones to shift during the menstrual cycle, soar during pregnancy and drop off before menopause. During the menstrual cycle, estrogen and progesterone fluctuate as the body prepares for ovulation and a possible pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, the production of hormones fall, which induces menstruation and a new menstrual cycle begins. When a woman approaches 50 her production of hormones naturally decline causing less frequent periods. When her periods eventually stop she will have reached menopause.

Hormonal balance is vital to a healthy body and mind but can be disrupted in many ways. Too much stress, a poor diet, ill health, too much exercise, prescription medicines and a toxic overload are some ways that cause a disruption in the level of hormones.

When the body produces too much or little of a certain hormone it is known as hormonal imbalance. Depending on which hormone(s) is involved a woman will experience a range of symptoms including moodiness, weight gain, digestive problems, acne, menstrual irregularities, infertility, headaches, insomnia, breast pain, anxiety, food cravings and loss of libido.

Yin and Yang

In Traditional Chinese Medicine hormonal balance is closely tied to the concept of Yin and Yang balance. Although Yin and Yang are opposite in nature they depend on one another to function properly. Hormonal balance occurs when Yin and Yang interchange smoothly making room for change and transformation. Just as it is important for estrogen and progesterone to be balanced so too should the Yin – Yang ratio be balanced. If there is too much or too little Yin or Yang in the body, imbalances will occur, which leads to hormonal imbalance.

Hormonal imbalance does not happen overnight. It takes time before symptoms become apparent.

A sedentary person who sits too much and has a poor diet is likely to end up with heaviness and congestion (too much Yin) in the lower part of her body. When blood cannot circulate properly and there is a buildup of fluids (not enough Yang to move Yin) problems such as sore back, varicose veins, achy legs, piles and painful periods may occur. When the liver, which is intimately connected to hormone balance, becomes congested it will not be able to function properly. If the liver cannot process or bio transform hormones efficiently, the body will feel “out of balance” leading to hormonal imbalance.

A woman who exercises too much without sufficient rest (too much Yang) will end up putting so much stress on her body she will drain her reserves. When a person’s reserves, which are stored in kidneys and adrenals, are running low, symptoms such as tiredness, low libido and poor appetite are common. If the body produces a lower than normal level of hormones (Yin deficiency), it can lead to hormonal imbalance. This in turn may lead amenorrhea (no periods) or infertility due to ovulation problems

The goal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is to restore balance in the body. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are safe and effective forms of treatments, which promote a healthy equilibrium. Acupuncture has a regulating effect on the body and herbs have a hormone balancing effect on the body. They both play an important role in regulating the menstrual cycle, balancing emotions and promoting healthy organ function.

During a consultation a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner will inquire about your general state of health and examine your tongue and pulse. Depending on your Yin-Yang ratio and accompanying symptoms, she will select the most appropriate treatment for you. She will also advise you on the best diet, form exercise and supplements to support you. Some general recommendations are as follows:

·       Eat organic foods and hormone free meats where possible. Pesticides, chemicals and hormones are used to treat produce and animal products contain synthetic estrogen like substances and have negative effects on our organ and endocrine systems

·       Add more cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cauliflower to your diet. These cruciferous vegetables contain di-indolymethane (DIM), which helps break down estradiol in the body. Too much estradiol (a form of estrogen made in the body) can contribute to breast pain, weight gain, moodiness, low libido and breast and uterine cancer.

·       Eliminate caffeine, nicotine and alcohol

·       Avoid junk food

·       Take time out to do things you like – hikes, facials, pedicures, foot massage, read a book, meditate

·       Zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6 and Vitamin C are helpful.

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Cupping at a Glance

Most of the validity of cupping as an alternative medical practice comes from its long history of use over the past 3,000 years. Cupping techniques have been used extensively to treat a range of disorders and symptoms, sometimes on their own, or other times in conjunction with other alternative practices.

Cupping works by expanding the capillaries and increasing the amount of fluid entering and leaving tissues. Besides this, cupping therapy seems to provoke a relaxation response in some people, which means it’s useful for lowering stress and its negative effects.

Cupping has worked for millions of people over many years, so here are five ways that cupping might be able to help you:

Jennifer Cruz administers cupping on a client.

1. Helps Reduce Pain

Cupping releases tissues deep inside the body, relaxes tense muscles and eases stiffness associated with chronic back and neck pains, migraines, rheumatism, and fatigue. Some athletes have been known to use cupping therapy to naturally improve performance and reduce stiffness, muscle cramps, joint pains and scar tissue caused by injuries.

Cupping targets soft tissue by applying local pressure to pain points and areas of swelling. As blood flow increases within vessels and capillaries, tissues receive much-needed nutrients and oxygen. Cupping practitioners use pressure, heat, suctioning and needles above or below the site of injury, allowing for energy to travel along the “channels” (meridians) that pass through the injury.

For help lowering pain, cups are commonly placed over the following areas: over the fleshy part of the shoulder blades, over the groin/loins, by the neck (for soothing tension headaches, toothaches or migraines) or around the lower back.

2. Promotes Relaxation

It might seem counteractive, but cupping often helps alleviate physical complaints and allows people to enter a more relaxed state since it sedates the central nervous system. This is similar to acupuncture, which you might assume hurts and is uncomfortable but actually seems to help lower most patients’ stress responses and therefore offers protection against anxiety and depression.

Cupping is soothing  because the cups help lift pressure in tense muscles, which offers a relieving sensation just like receiving a deep tissue massage.

Jennifer Cruz inserts the burning cotton into a glass cup. She’ll keep it there for two to five seconds, or until the glass feels notably warm.

3. Boosts Skin Health

Cupping is used to rreduce herpes, cellulite, acne and skin inflammation. While studies haven’t shown it can necessarily help with weight loss, the fact that it tones and firms skin by improving blood flow and expanding capillaries makes it popular among celebrities and people in the spotlight who want to appear to have toned skin. As part of a skin-clearing or cellulite treatment, oil is commonly first applied to the skin before the cups are suctioned and moved around, bringing heat to the area along with various skin-healing ingredients depending on the type of oil used.

Because cupping improves blood flow and might help lower inflammation, some studies have found it to be equally or even more effective at treating acne compared to antibiotics.

4. Helps Treat Respiratory Issues and Colds

Commonly used to help nourish the lungs and clear away phlegm or congestion, cupping therapy can be useful for speeding up healing time from respiratory illnesses like the flu or common colds. Cupping helps improve immune function by moving blood and lymphatic fluid throughout the body, which is why it’s been associated with reductions in lung diseases (especially chronic coughs), allergies, infections and asthma.

Treating respiratory conditions like pulmonary tuberculosis is one of the oldest uses for cupping and was utilized long before prescriptions were available.

5. Improves Digestion

Acupuncture and cupping are both popular ways to improve digestion and reduce symptoms from disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This is primarily because they can lower a patient’s stress response, which is highly tied to healthy digestive functioning.

Throughout history, cupping therapy has been found to be beneficial for people with frequent stomach pains, diarrhea, acute gastritis, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal diseases and water retention. For digestive disturbances, cupping is commonly performed in the following areas: around the navel, over the bladder, around the kidneys or over the stomach.

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Are You Suffering From Depression?

Treat Depression with Acupuncture and induce the release of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.

What is Depression?
-- Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.

Case report of 3 females with severe mood disorders who were treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and electroacupuncture therapy (EAT). EAT is a form of acupuncture in which 1 or more pairs of needles are stimulated by applying small electrical currents.

All 3 patients had severe depression and had not responded to multiple trials of different psychotropic medications and psychotherapies. ECT reduced depressive symptoms but was associated with profound memory loss, confusion, and disorientation.

Acupuncture administered with EAT resulted in significant remission of depression and was better tolerated by all 3 patients. 

To read more:
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/depression/role-acupuncture-treatment-depression

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