Integrative Health Blog

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Posted by on Mon, Mar 12, 2018

Someone recently asked me about "medical" acupuncture vs. "regular" acupuncture.

To be honest, I have no idea where the idea of spa, medical or other acupuncture comes from, but I do know it can be an effective treatment.

Acupuncture as a System of Healing

Regardless of what you want to label it, any time you apply an acupuncture needle, you are moving qi, or vital force energy in the body.  The intention of the acupuncturist does make a difference in the treatment strategy and results but the basic premise is the same: Acupuncture is a system of healing that uses the body's energy pathways to clear blocked energy, tonify where qi is deficient, alleviate where qi is congested, mobilize when qi is stuck and balance the energy systems of the body.

The science of physics now tells us that the body is energy, well, actually, everything is energy. Matter is just energy that is vibrating at a rate that creates density, hence what we perceive as matter.

Acupuncture accesses points where the energy converges or creates a vortex or dives to deeper levels or more superficial ones. How and where we place acupuncture needles will create the desired flow.

Restore Energy Flow with Acupuncture

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Tags: acupuncture

Health Tips for the Fall Season from Chinese Medicine

Posted by on Wed, Nov 11, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall brings harvest time, the beauty of the changing leaves, and less daylight. In Chinese medicine, fall is associated with the element of metal and the lungs. It is a time to slow down, go to bed early, regroup and begin to move and think inward in preparation for winter.

Staying Healthy with Changing Weather

With the change to cooler weather comes your body’s attempt to cope with cold mornings, warm afternoons and even colder evenings.  Wild fluctuations in temperature tend to be giant stressors on the system and as such, this is the time of year when we see many colds and flu.  Is there a way to prevent these seasonal health missteps?  Of course!  Chinese medicine quite literally works on the idea of prevention.  When you come in for an appointment we feel your pulse and see where there are imbalances in the body.  Based on these imbalances, which around this time of year tend to be the lung and large intestine (metal element organs), we can treat to prevent ailments in these organ systems. 

Colds and flus have been written about in classical texts for over 3500 years.  Hence, Chinese medicine  practitioners are good at treating them. 

Health Tips for the Fall Season

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Tags: chinese medicine, acupuncture

Can Acupuncture Help Me Lose Weight?

Posted by on Tue, Dec 16, 2014

The short answer is “YES!”  but the true answer is much more involved and requires several more questions in order to decide how to best achieve long lasting weight loss.

Chinese medicine and Acupuncture can be an effective “assistant” to weight loss and weight maintenance but how do we go about finding out why there is a weight issue to begin with?

Many Factors Affect Weight Loss

There are several factors when considering a weight loss plan that need to be discussed.  For example,

  • Is the weight gain due to poor dietary and exercise habits? 
  • Is there a metabolic function issue that needs to be addressed?
  • Are there psychological factors contributing to the inability to lose weight?
  • Is there a hormonal or thyroid issue
  • How is your digestion?

As you can see, there are many reasons why a person gains weight and, as such, there are many techniques to help lose that weight. 

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Tags: weight loss, chinese medicine, acupuncture

Where Does Pain Come From?

Posted by on Mon, Jun 24, 2013

Pain is one of the biggest motivators to go get healthcare. Most people think they can deal with sharp pain, muscles that ache, a body that gets achy and tired at the end of a day. But when it gets to a point that you can’t handle it anymore, you call the doctor.  Our job is to discover what is causing your pain.  Sometimes we get lucky and  it is just a sore muscle that goes away after a treatment, but what if it is more complicated?  There are no easy cases for doctors; patients present with individual problems that get solved uniquely based on how they present. 

The Sources of Pain

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Tags: acupuncture, pain, chiropractic

How Acupuncture Helps With Pain

Posted by on Wed, May 08, 2013

Nicholas Buscemi MSOM, LAc

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Tags: arthritis, joint pain, chinese medicine, acupuncture, pain

Chinese Medicine and the Spring Tune Up

Posted by on Mon, Mar 04, 2013

Nicholas Buscemi MSOM, LAc

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Tags: chinese medicine, acupuncture

What is Classical Chinese Medicine?

Posted by on Mon, Jul 30, 2012

Nicholas Buscemi MSOM, LAc

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Tags: energy therapies, chinese medicine, acupuncture

Chinese Medicine For Women’s Health and Fertility

Posted by on Mon, Jun 18, 2012

Do you suffer from fatigue, cramping, nausea, migraines, anger, irritability, restlessness, mood swings, digestive disturbance, hot flashes and just plain feeling down in the dumps?  Do these symptoms seem to occur regularly or cyclically?

Perhaps worse than the symptoms are not knowing when they will occur, as your bodies’ rhythms are not quite as “cyclical” as they could be. 

Are you struggling with the “change of life” and the physical and emotional symptoms that seem to accompany this natural transition?

What could your symptoms mean?

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Tags: fertility, chinese medicine, acupuncture, integrative health, womens health

Tired of Pain?

Posted by on Tue, May 01, 2012

Nicholas Buscemi MSOM, LAc

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Tags: back pain, cupping, chronic pain, chinese medicine, acupuncture, pain, muscle pain