Summary of Services
Acupuncture: Acupuncture should be explained in scientific terms. Read More...
Chinese Herbal Therapy: Chinese herbal therapy is the original Chinese medicine, pre-dating acupuncture. Read More...
Cupping: Cupping is like a reverse massage. Read More...
Pulse Diagnosis: Many health conditions are revealed through pulse diagnosis. Read More...
Acupuncture
Acupuncture should be explained in scientific terms. By inserting a sterile thin-as-a-strand-of-hair needle into the skin, a number of physiological effects occur in the body.
The brain releases endogenous opioids – our natural pain relievers – that’s why acupuncture is good for both acute and chronic pain. The brain releases neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine – our “feel good” chemicals – that’s why acupuncture is good for anxiety, depression, and stress related symptoms. Acupuncture stimulates our central nervous system to release a cascade of anti-inflammatory chemicals throughout the body. As modern research begins to draw a connection between inflammation and many major diseases, researchers are looking more and more toward acupuncture as a drug-free approach to decreasing inflammation in the body. There are thousands of randomized control trials - the gold standard of research - investigating how acupuncture works.
Chinese Herbal Therapy
Chinese herbal therapy is the original Chinese medicine, coming before acupuncture. An herbal formula is a group of anywhere from 2 to 50 herbs combined together to treat specific patterns of ill health. Many of our traditional formulas that are used in this clinic today were developed thousands of years ago. In fact, some formulas were discovered by archeologists in river beds as carvings on turtle shells and animal bones. Modern research has demonstrated efficacy of Chinese herbal formulas for such health concerns as Hepatitis C, acid reflux, and migraines among many others.
At the Nourishing Medicine Clinic, we prescribe herbs in two different forms: capsules and granules. Our patients can choose between capsules which are easier to ingest but are can not be individualized to the patient’s unique condition or granules which don’t always taste good, but can be individualized and easily tweaked for best results.
Cupping
Cupping, or fire cups, has been used around the world as an effective folk remedy for various ailments. Most commonly, we use cupping to release chronically tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, upper, middle, and lower back. It is also used to strengthen the immune system and to clear out congestion in the lungs. It is also helpful to detoxify the lungs of those quitting smoking.
Muscle fibers should loosely fit together so that fresh blood can get into the area and nourish the muscle and so that old blood can get out and bring with it chemical buildup like lactic acid. The stress of sitting at a desk all day will cause those muscle fibers to tighten up so much that it stops proper circulation to the area. This means that fresh blood can not get in to nourish and old blood can not get out to clear the cellular debris. Those tight shoulders then become a stuck little garbage dump. And that hurts!
Cupping changes this. It allows those tight muscle fibers to let go and for proper circulation to be restored. Cupping is like a reverse massage. While massage is compressive by pushing into the muscles, cupping sucks the muscles outward by creating a strong suction on the skin's surface. Most people's response is that "it hurts so good!"
Pulse Diagnosis
The pinnacle of Chinese medical diagnostic tools, pulse reading is an art that takes years of practice. The ancient Chinese said that a doctor needs to take 10,000 pulses and then take 10,000 more. In other words, it’s a lifetime of study and practice, but we are well on our way to feeling our first 10,000 pulses.
Many health conditions are revealed through the pulse including thyroid conditions, sinus infections, hemorrhoids, acid reflux, mitral valve murmur of the heart, coronary blockage, fatty liver disease, history of infections such as mononucleosis, kidney stones.
Most people are used to getting their pulse taken by a medical doctor. Typically, an MD is feeling for the speed of the pulse. Chinese pulse taking is extremely detailed. There are 28 qualities of the pulse that we are feeling for and each of the 12 distinct positions on the radial artery on the wrist may show a different quality.
The purpose of getting an accurate diagnosis from the pulse is to prescribe an individualized herbal formula to address the health problems found in the pulse reading. The quality of the pulse will change after consuming an herbal formula. This healing process is dynamic because the prescription will change as the quality of the pulse gets better and better.