Most people seem to resort to over the counter medication for getting relief from their allergies. The problem is that these medications can have some rather dreadful side effects. Acupuncture has no harmful side effects. This means that it is possible for anyone to give acupuncture a try and not be concerned about suffering for their daring.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) what acupuncture does is stimulate certain areas of the body which correspond to the condition that is being treated. So, acupuncture is actually a way to help the body heal itself through the stimulation of the relevant points on the body, usually through the insertion of fine needles or laser stimulation.

Acupuncture for allergies is practiced in two parts. There is the treatment of the symptoms – referred to as the branch – and the strengthening of the immune system so the body can combat the allergies on its own – referred to as the root. When you go into an acupuncture treatment with all the symptoms of allergies you will get a different treatment than if you go in while you are not showing the symptoms.

Each treatment is done on an individual basis. Your symptoms are examined in conjunction with your lifestyle and everything else that makes you who you are. This is so that you can be given a treatment that will take care of your individual problems. Western medicine, on the other hand, tends to treat all allergies in the same way and is much more generalized.

An acupuncturist is able to tell the nature of your allergy through a close examination of all the various points in Chinese traditional medicine. They will basically be determining the heat and cold conditions that are affecting you and then treat these.

An acupuncturist will  use needles or a laser beam to stimulate the various points of the body. The treatments will   correct the imbalances that are causing the allergic reaction.

The next time you start to suffer from an allergic reaction to something in your environment, take a moment to seriously consider trying acupuncture.

Give me  a call at 604-839-9789 to book your appointment.

~~ Wendy Lind    RAc   Registered acupuncturist (*CTCMA BC)

I have been having enormous success in treating chronic pain with our laser unit.  In this needle-less treatment protocol I use the laser wand instead of my acupuncture needles.

I target all of the same acupuncture points with the laser wand.  The laser beam creates the same healing effect as do the needles.

Often within weeks the treatments start breaking down and dissolving calcified material in the joints which leads to even more pain relief.

If you suffer from chronic pain such as arthritis, you should consider acupuncture as an addition or alternative to pain killing drugs.  You can decide whether you prefer the traditional acupuncture treatments with the needles or the modern alternative of the laser wand.

Call now for a consultation or an appointment.

604-839-9789

Modern nutrition is based on knowing the chemical composition of foods and the biochemical pathways of the body. Foods are categorized as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats accordingly.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks at food and life quite differently. It is based on the energy of the food, the season of year, and tries to achieve a balance between the two following the theory of Yin and Yang.

It works very simply. When a person is feeling cold, choosing food and drinks that are warming will help regain strength and vitality. A cold, raw salad isn’t the answer.

The Theory of Yin and Yang is a corner stone of TCM. The forces of Yin and Yang are energetic qualities that shape everything in the universe including our health.

The symbol of Yin and Yang is circle divided into two shapes with the dark shape representing the Yin and the light side symbolizing the Yang. This theory of Yin and Yang is based on patterns that occur in nature: night and winter are the yin that balance the yang of day and summer.

YIN AND YANG FOODS

Given the knowledge that yin is cooling and yang is warming, it makes sense that these qualities in food and activities would benefit our ability to process food and fuel our bodies more efficiently. This enhances our own ability to heal.

When a cooling pattern occurs (winter), warming aerobic exercise is essential. Healing food choices include warm beef or lamb dishes, meat-based soups and stews, trout and wild salmon. Warming vegetables include cooked root veggies, baked winter squash, onions, lightly cooked greens including broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus, and kale. Nuts and seeds are warming as are cinnamon, garlic, ginger, and pepper.

When a warming pattern occurs (summer), meditation, walks in nature, swimming, and yoga are ideal for balancing the agitating nature of a heat imbalance. Cooling foods include salads, cucumber, melons, pears, beans, sushi, and non-spicy foods. Vegetables of all kinds are helpful whereas meats should be limited.

Summer foods and activities are naturally different than winter. When you pay attention to your body and choose the foods and activities that seem to naturally balance us during these seasons, our ability to maintain health is enhanced.

Wendy

Dieting gurus pump out new tricks just as quickly as people fall off the wagon. But many Vancouverites are discovering a ‘new’ approach to healthy weight loss, one that is not new at all.

Acupuncture is a natural therapy discovered in China over 6000 years ago. It can aid in weight loss by suppressing the appetite, calming certain cravings, and reducing stress-related weight gain.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) take a holistic, whole body approach to health. This ancient form of healthcare works to restore the balance and flow of the body’s Qi (vital energy)

To understand TCM, you must realize it is as effective now as it was thousands of years ago. Why? Because of it’s simplicity, much like our own bodies – we are as simple now as we were thousands of years ago. Our lifestyles have changed, (thank heaven), but our physical bodies have not evolved very much.

HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK?

The body is made up of a network of meridians that carry the Qi in a pattern. The Qi rises to the surface of the skin at particular points, where we gain access to it. This enables us to affect its flow, recreate the balance needed to maintain good health thereby removing the root cause of many of our problems.

HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE HELP US LOSE WEIGHT?

Restoring the balance of the flow of Qi in the stomach will help promote good digestion and suppress an overactive appetite. Emotional issues, such as anxiety and stress, both of which can lead to overeating, can be overcome.

With diet changes, many people experience cravings, which can lead to binge eating. Cravings in the body are often due to an imbalance of various body functions. Acupuncture helps to re-establish the body’s natural balance, as well as enhance these needed functions. Simply put, acupuncture can support the body to generate an efficient digestive process.

Acupuncture can reduce the cravings, calm the emotions,
and provide the balance and energy needed to succeed.

People seeking to find the root cause of their weight gain, may find simple solutions in the simplistic medicine of TCM. You can help your body regain its natural balance, and start taking steps toward true health and vitality.

True health is more than just not feeling sick. It means that you are functioning at your optimum level, that your body is in balance, your mind is alert, and your spirit is calm. What a refreshing way to start each and every day! The sooner you start, the longer you have to enjoy it and it’s NEVER too late to get started!

Wendy
604-839-9789

Seasons change and your body and mental outlook change with them in predictable ways. There is a slight nip in the air and days are getting shorter. This ushers in the harvest and the start of the dying cycle of nature.

The season of Autumn is associated with the element Metal and is a time for letting go of the old. The time for gathering fruit and vegies before the winter. Nature prepares to retreat and slow down.

TCM combines knowledge of seasonal characteristics with your health situation to balance Qi (energy) and help you adapt and thrive during the cooler and more crisp months of autumn.

This is the time associated for Lungs and Colon. The lung is the tender organ as it is the uppermost organ and susceptible to wind and cold. Your lungs have a primary influence on your  immune system.During this time you may start catching colds, sore throats, and congested sinuses. Your immune may feel weaker.

Acupuncture is a great way to bring your system back to balance if you are struggling.

HEALTH PROBLEMS :

Lungs are most sensitive during autumn. Focus on preventing colds, coughs, sore throat etc.. People with bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, need to take precautions to minimize the impact of autumn. It is important to eat foods that build overall health to the lungs to strengthen the immune and prepare for winter.

HOW TO HELP YOURSELF:

1. Avoid drafts – keep neck, ears, wrists, and ankles from being exposed to drafts. This is likely where pathogens will invade.
2. Be Aware of dryness – there is a slow increase of wind, and cold which create dry air. This affects skin and Lungs as you turn on the heat in your house, car and office. This has a drying affect on the environment.
3. Lungs are sensitive. You need to minimize spicy food intake which irritate lungs. Therefore helping the lungs remain less vulnerable to pathogens.

Autumn weather often affects the lungs causing coughs and a dry sore throat.

AUTUMN FOODS:

Autumn foods are white in color and pungent in flavour. Choosing white foods will help relieve cough, nourish skin, relieve constipation through moistening and promoting body fluid production. Move away from eating the summer fruits and vegetables into eating more fall produce.

Some white foods are:
Turnip, almonds, potatoes, cauliflower, yams, soybean milk, garlic, onion, etc.  Check out the Autumn Food Guide  for more information.

Booking a seasonal Acupuncture treatment is a preventative approach to reducing the incidence of colds and flues. Protect yourself and your family by giving me a call today.  604-839-9789

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia commonly start after undergoing a surgery, infection, significant psychological stress or physical trauma. There also other cases wherein the symptoms can build up over time even though there’s no definite stimulating factor.

Fibromyalgia is a condition that commonly affects more women than men. Tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, anxiety and depression are also some of the symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia. Today, there is still no cure for Fibromyalgia, but there are drugs and other treatments available to treat this condition. Alternative therapies such as exercise, relaxation, massage, chiropractic and acupuncture can also help in managing this condition.

There had been several studies done to determine the relationship between acupuncture and Fibromyalgia. A recent Mayo Clinic test shows that acupuncture can be effective in reducing the symptoms caused by Fibromyalgia such as stiffed joints, chronic pain and sleep disturbance. Acupuncture not only brings significant pain relief but it can also lower symptoms such as fatigue and anxiety.

When the acupuncturist inserts needles into the acupuncture points of a patient, endorphins are released into the bloodstream. These endorphins are a natural pain killer. Additionally, energy (chi) blocks are removed restoring the flow of energy along the energy channels.

Nerve impulses in the brain can be stimulated or inhibited by a series of neurotransmitters. Sensations like pain and information about the external stimuli causing pain are relayed through nerve impulses. Acupuncture can increase a patient’s pain threshold, thus decreasing the sensation of pain.

Most patients who undergo one or two acupuncture treatments report that the pain they felt is relieved for several weeks after the procedure.

Alternative treatments or methods such as acupuncture can work well in some people with Fibromyalgia. The reason is that holistic therapies can make a big impact on the total well-being. In this way, it will let you lower your need for medications and help you go back to your normal daily activities.

Origins of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a very old practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has been around for over 3,000 years and has gained respect and popularity all over the world. It is based on the metaphysical doctrine that the body is made healthy by an unseen life force or energy called chi. Probably one of the most sought after alternative medicines, TCM and acupuncture has made it possible for many people to live normal lives at a cheaper price and lesser risk.

Current Problems of Chronic Pain

In 2010, an online survey was held in Canada and it was found out that 53% of chronic pain sufferers feel that that there is insufficient support available. Most of the respondents even claim that the instructions that their doctors provide them do not help at all. To top that, chronic pain sufferers are getting conflicting information from one doctor to another. This makes it impossible for chronic pain sufferers to decide what to do to improve their condition.

Another problem that chronic pain sufferers have to deal with is the wait time. Many of them do not really see a specialist without waiting six months or longer. As a result, they rely on non-addictive drugs just to be able to manage pain. It is  very frustrating for people to realize that the solutions they are offered do not deliver the results they were expecting.

Chronic Pain and Acupuncture

If you do not address your chronic pain issues quickly, it will lead to an escalating series of problems which will increase the pain you suffer.For example, many chronic pain sufferers cannot sleep … over time, the lack of sleep will increase the levels of pain you experience. Over the counter drugs have side effects which include stomach acidity and upsets. Again, this results in even more suffering and distress.

Acupuncture can help in ways you cannot imagine. The thousands of years that acupuncture has been used to treat pain and chronic pain are a testament to its effectiveness.

Acupuncture consists of inserting very tiny, thin needles in several points of the body where the energy flows. This energy, called chi, should  flow freely throughout the entire body. When chi is not flowing freely you will get illnesses, and pain.  The blocked movement of chi can affect you both mentally and physically.  Acupuncture restores the flow of chi energy in the body, removing blockages or redirecting the energy to its natural course.

Of course alleviating the pain is only one aspect of an acupuncture treatment. Pain is a symptom that something else is wrong … and finding that “something” and treating it, is the second aspect of an acupuncture treatment.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture are accepted worldwide due to the amazing number of illnesses it can positively treat.  Acupuncture can provide immediate relief to physical pain. There are no side effects to worry about.

Call now for an appointment, or to discuss how Acupuncture can help you!

604-839-9789

I have been treating allergy symptoms for years in my Acupuncture practice.  The frustrating thing is that in order to keep the symptoms at bay, my patients either had to undergo yearly immune system treatments to deal with seasonal allergies, or they had to have regular treatments to keep the symptoms under control.

The FABULOUS news I have to share with you is that I have just undertaken extensive training in BIE … Bioenergetic Allergy Treatment.  I’m excited because this is a powerful addition to my Acupuncture training and the results that BIE treatments have with chronic and seasonal allergies is simply astounding.

The BIE process can alleviate allergy symptoms and your suffering.

In a Nutshell:

A lightweight device is used to transmit a low electronic frequency directly onto various points on the body (without the use of needles).  This stimulates and clears any blockages in energy. If you’ve had any type of acupuncture treatment, the principles are the same.

Many patients find immediate results. Others require several visits to detect and remove all suspect causes, particularly if an individual has many intolerances.  In extreme cases, those with severe intolerances have reported a 4 to 6 week period lapsed after their session before feeling complete relief of their symptoms.

The healing effects are long term. In most cases your intolerance to a substance is reduced or alleviated after one or two treatments. If you have intolerances to many substances you may want to come back until they are all alleviated.

Find out more information about BIE   and more about allergies and the associated symptoms.

Give me a call to book an appointment today!

604-839-9789

I have a new technique that is proving to be effective and long lasting with  very quick results. Whether the pain is  chronic or acute, the treatment is the same.  Usually fewer than 6 appointments are needed and each appointment is only 20-30 minutes.  There are no drugs involved.  I simply work with your body and help it heal and repair and renew.

It’s more than just pain … it’s full range of movement without pain.  I have had men touching their toes when they have never touched their toes in their whole life.

I find it fascinating to blend the “ancient” world of acupuncture with today’s “modern” knowledge of the body.  Thousands of years ago, they didn’t have microscopes so their insight to the body was very limited.  To incorporate today’s knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and neurology with ancient applications that have a modern twist and purpose is effective.

The ancient philosophy of TCM in treating pain is to move the energy (Qi) through the obstacles that create the blockages.   The flow of Qi can be disrupted by physical trauma, sprains, strains, over-exertion, repetitive injury, emotional stress, etc.  Keeping this purpose in mind, applying new information about the body structures and how they work gives us the same simple approach with even better results.

The beauty of acupuncture is its simplicity. By simply moving the energy within the body, many ailments can be eliminated … like PAIN.  The reason Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), that is thousands of years old, is still effective today is because  the human body has not really changed or evolved.  We are the same beast today as we were thousands of years ago.  (better teeth and less body hair)

Maintaining the basic TCM principles, I use a new technique called Auricular Medicine to create an even more effective healing plan. This new approach to dealing with pain has high success ratings.  Auricular Medicine comes to us from Germany where most Orthopedic surgeons begin treatment using auricular medicine and have been doing so for many years.

Wendy

In the winter and early spring you may experience allergies to mold. Mold is a fungus that expels spores into the air. It can grow both inside and outside of your home.

In Vancouver you may see mold on the bottoms of concrete walls, brick walls and on trees. Mold grows on leaves, rotting logs and is found in damp shady areas.

Indoors you may find mold in bathrooms, air conditions and the inside of garbage pails. If your home has leakage problems, mold may be growing inside the walls, which is a definite health hazard.

A few things you can do to control mold indoors is to always turn on the exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitchen. Run a dehumidifier and be sure to vacuum your home on a regular basis.

With the onset of spring, I start seeing people with allergies to pollen. For many of us spring is a wonder time filled with fresh air and blooming trees and flowers. If you are affected by pollen allergies, the onset of spring can be a nightmare!

Traditional medicine recommends taking antihistamines to help alleviate allergy symptoms. If you would rather not flood your body with chemicals and their side effects, acupuncture is a great option for treating mold and pollen allergies naturally.

Allergies are a sign of an imbalance in the immune system. Acupuncture helps to alleviate the symptoms as well as balance and strengthen the body.

You have the choice of traditional Acupuncture using small, sterile needles OR our new needle-less laser acupuncture.

If you want to discuss your allergy symptoms and whether Acupuncture would be a good alternative for you … please give me a call at 604-839-9789