In Chinese Medicine, dampness is one of the 6 types of “Evil Qi.“ Damp is usually a side-effect of a Deficiency of Qi or Yang, plus exposure to damp elements. Signs of dampness can include CAUSES OF DAMPNESS If you live in a humid environment, you’re more susceptible to damp energy. If you work out or swim,…
Heart imbalances in TCM include angina (heart attacks); blood clots; irregular heartbeat / “A-Fib”; hypertension (high blood pressure); and also, sometimes, insomnia and anxiety. The amount of mis-information about your heart is astounding. Cholesterol is just one of those. In TCM, the Heart is the “Emperor” of the organs. Some acupuncturists believe you only needle the Heart meridian if absolutely…
Written by Kristen Horner Warren, L.Ac, M.S., M.A., Dipl.OM, all rights reserved To this point I have not spoken out about this issue because I didn’t want to get embroiled in an ugly fight, but it has come to the point that I cannot in good conscience remain quiet about a serious threat to public safety and…
In the 1960s, a sexual revolution for women began! Birth control pills seemed like the answer for decades of repression. A few years later, with rising rates of breast cancer, menopausal disorder, astronomical rates of infertility, we’d be ignorant to say we aren’t having a problem with our hormones. And I don’t think the pill…
Here’s a list of the top 10 books on acupuncture and Chinese medicine, based on an informal poll I took (gotta love Facebook, sometimes). If you love learning and want to learn more about TCM and acupuncture, check these out: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine – Tom Williams, PhD.Great pictures, easy to read. The…
Milk has always been ubiquitous to the grocery list, but now, we’re all so confused about what milk to drink. From lactose intolerance, farmers going to jail for selling raw milk, and just not knowing what to get at the store, it can stir up the emotions. Raw milk is where it’s at. Unfortunately it’s a little hard…
Nearly all of us have heard that we need to “watch our cholesterol” to have a healthy heart and clear arteries. In Chinese medicine, the Heart is the “King of the Organs,” so it’s a … noble quest. Before 1984, most doctors dismissed cholesterol numbers unless they were above 300. Then, the National Cholesterol Education Program arbitrarily set “high…
When I treat someone, and they get a needle sensation and ask, “What WAS that?!” I have to laugh a little. I laugh because…it’s so hard to explain exactly what that was! First, the “Qi” sensation is arriving at the needle. It’s the nerve “waking up” an area of your body. So, it’s a good sign that we…
My absolute favorite moments in practice are when my patients tell me they’ve stopped taking their prescription medications. By law I can’t recommend anything regarding a prescription drug. I can’t tell you to take it or not. But I can help you devise a plan for getting off of it that will involve you discussing this plan…
At my ophthalmologist’s office a while back: “Hmmm…this is unusual.” He was checking and rechecking some things. “Huh. Normally at your age people’s eyesight gets worse, but yours is going in a more ‘favorable direction.’ Whatever you’re doing, keep it up!” The prescription for my near-sightedness on both eyes was 1/4 a point better (from -3.25 to -3…