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)

Did you know there is a Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic in North America? Is it estimated that over 70% of all North Americans are deficient in Vitamin D.

Though I couldn’t find any Canadian studies, it is likely that the the numbers are higher in Canada, simply because we are further from the Equator and the healing magic of the sun.

Insufficient amounts of vitamin D have been linked to:

• Suppressed Immune System
• Increased risk of disease (heart disease and certain types of Cancer)
• Heightened inflammation (fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis)
• Increased levels of pain

What Can You Do?

Sunbathing: Get 30 minutes of sun a day.  Your skin needs to be exposed to direct sunlight (no windows in between).  Walk, run, sit on a picnic bench in your shorts and sleeveless T-shirt.  During the summer months this will give you all the Vitamin D you need. During the winter you will want to take Vitamin D supplements.

Vitamin D supplements: Vitamin D is critical to the absorption of Calcium, so you will often see them packaged together.  During our Vancouver winters you may also want to take extra daily doses.

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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

Spring is the season of renewal. All things in nature are busy reproducing and growing. The earth comes to life.

Spring is associated with the element wood. This element is associated with people who have clear vision and goals and are able to plan and bring these things to pass. An imbalance in this element can cause a person to become either indecisive and unable to express anger when the wood Qi is weak, or over controlling and arrogant and aggressive, when the wood Qi is too high.

The element wood is associated with the Yin and Yang organs of the liver and gall bladder as well as the sense organ for sight, the eyes and the tendons. It is said that wind strengthens the liver. If the liver is strengthened too much the person may experience an excess of frustration and irritation. Other symptoms of liver imbalance can include migraines, eye problems and sinus as well as rashes around the genital area.

It is important to help your body keep the elements and organs in balance. Here are a few things that you can do to keep your liver and the wood element in balance within your body. The key concept behind all of these tips is the movement of Qi since the liver is responsible for the movement of Qi.

Exercise and stretch

Since the liver and the wood element are connected quite strongly to the tendons of the body it is important that you stretch and do some gentle exercise on a daily basis. The liver stores blood during the winter time, a time of rest, and then releases that blood during spring, the time of renewal and rejuvenation.

Read

The eyes are also connected to the liver and wood element of spring. Reading is a way to exercise the eyes. Do not overdo it though as you do not want to move too much Qi through your eyes and create an imbalance in another direction.

Add green and sour to your diet

Since green is the colour of spring it is important that you eat as many green foods as possible. some of the common foods to include in your diet are celery and sprouts like beans and mung. The taste that is associated with spring is sour so take this time to indulge in adding some sour tastes to your food. You can add lemon to your water and use vinegar in your salad dressing, make sure it is a green salad!

If you are feeling angry and unable to release your frustration you may want to get some acupuncture treatments to release any blockages that you may have in your system. The acupuncture can help you get rid of your internal and external dragons and release the spirit points that you need released.

Give me a call to book your spring acupuncture treatment.

Wendy
604-839-9789

We are located on Granville Street  just near the bottom of the Granville bridge.  There is ample street parking on West 6th and transit stops on Granville.  We are steps away from a variety of art galleries and specialty shops.  See our map for more information.

Granville & West 6th
Unit 109, 1529 West 6th Ave.
604-839-9789

We’ve done our best to create a refreshing and healing environment. 

Elements

Spring is the time of year that is associated with wind and the wood element. The wood element is very closely connected to the liver and gall bladder. The liver is very sensitive to wind. Thus, during spring the liver is at its most sensitive and volatile.

Wind can occur both inside and outside the body. Internal wind would manifest in dizziness, cramps, tinnitus, tremors, intermittent pain, migraines, manic depression and nervousness.

You can limit the effects of the wind by changing your diet appropriately. You will need to find out if you are more yin or yang though as this has an effect on what will help you most. You should definitely avoid crab, eggs and buckwheat though.

Organs

Since spring is associated with the wood element the organs of spring are the liver and gall bladder. The liver is the organ that promotes the flow of Qi or energy throughout the body. If the liver has been compromised as a result of too much wind, either internally or externally, you may feel irritable and restless. You will have trouble expressing your anger and be generally edgy.

If you do not undergo some balancing you may find that this unbalance of your liver will lead to depression. If the yin facet of the liver is too weak you will have problems with dizziness, dry and brittle nails, dry eyes and tinnitus. If this is the case then you need to add some soybean and liver to your diet. The more common situation is that the yang facet of the liver is too active in spring. Although the yang facet is good in that it provides energy to accomplish tasks too much leads to excess anger. You can calm your liver by eating sweet foods.

Taste

The taste for spring is sour. The sour taste, such as the taste of lemon and vinegar, strengthens the liver and helps it to overcome the effects of wind. It is important not to take in too many sour items in your diet as this can make your liver too strong and have a negative effect on the other organs in the body. If your liver is too string then you need to partake of pungent foods to clear the wind and lower the strength of the liver.

Colour

The colour of spring is green. This means that it is important to make sure that you add a range of green leafy vegetables to your diet. Adding things like celery, kelp and spring onions will calm your liver and are good for you.

The five elements view of spring is quite an intricate relationship between all the aspects of spring. You cannot treat just one, you have to take care of them all to avoid an imbalance. If you are struggling to correct an imbalance then you should consider some acupuncture treatments to release your internal and external dragons and to promote the flow of the correct spirit points.

Give me a call to book your spring acupuncture treatment.

Wendy
604-839-9789

Whether you suffer from allergies seasonally or perennially, life can become very miserable. Itching of the eyes, roof of the mouth, or throat, runny nose, headache, sneezing, cough, wheezing…the list goes on.

It is up to our immune systems to defend us against foreign substances such as pollen, dust, pets, etc., however, our immune system can overreact to certain antigens (allergens) which are harmless to most people. The result is an allergic reaction. In other words, it isn’t the allergy itself that is the problem, but the person’s reaction to the allergen.

Acupuncture has been proven to help alleviate the symptoms of allergies when they are active and more importantly, can help to correct the immune system imbalance that causes the allergic response in the first place.

Acupuncture treats allergies in 4 main ways:

1. Stabilizes the immune system to moderate its response to allergens;

2. decreases swelling and inflammation of local tissues to stop itching;

3. decreases secretions of mucus membranes to reduce nasal discharge and watery eyes; and

4. strengthens your natural resistance to antigens.

Acupuncture not only helps with the active symptoms, but also in the prevention of them. Acupuncture can enhance the immune system’s performance in the off-season to prevent the on-set of your allergy symptoms. In other words, acupuncture strengthens the immune system so that your body will not create an overreaction or allergic reaction to elements in nature.

You may also be interested in our BIE  allergy process.

The five elements are fire, earth, metal, wood and water. Each of the elements has a corresponding internal organ. Each element is also associated with a different season.

They each also have both direct and indirect interactions. Something that affects one element and therefore a specific organ will have an effect on other organs and elements within the body. The point of traditional Chinese medicine is to achieve a balance within the body.

Spring is the season associated with wood. This element is the one that is associated with the liver and gall bladder. Since the wind has a tendency to blow in spring and wind strengthens the liver the spleen will also be affected. This can cause a disharmony which can present with problems like stomach pain, acid regurgitation, stomach distension and diarrhea. If the imbalance also affects the lungs then you will find that you suffer from all the classic signs of allergies.

If you are suffering from these kinds of problems in the spring then you can turn to the traditional Chinese medicinal disciplines of acupuncture and herbal medicine to help you get your body back into balance.

Herbal medicine and diet

In spring it is considered important to eat green leafy vegetables. These vegetables cleanse and freshen the body. It is recommended that you eat things like dandelion as a cleanser and drink juices from citrus fruits, pear and apple as well as celery and carrot. You can also add some sprouts to your diet, this would include things like beans, mung and radish sprouts.

Acupuncture

The first thing that has to be done when undergoing an acupuncture treatment is to identify and release any blockages in your system. The main blocks will be internal and external blockages, aggressive energy and entry exit blocks. It is the entry and exit blocks that relate directly to the organs affected by the elements.

Once the blocks have been cleared the next step is to plan what spirit points to open to help the patient to recover and rediscover their joy in life. The last step would be to treat the problem or imbalance directly through the use of command points. The command points are all directly related to the five elements. Thus in spring the most commonly treated command points would be the wood points.

As you can see, traditional Chinese medicine and spring, and the other seasons, are intricately related. The treatment that you receive will depend on the season and how that season is affecting your body and the balance within your body.

Many of my patients come in for seasonal treatments to enhance and optimize good health and to keep their immune systems strong.

Wendy
604-839-9789

I have been certified at the first level of Auricular Medicine, a discipline that is being practiced by only about 150 people in Canada. You may remember that  Blue Jays pitcher, Jeremy Accardo,  underwent this type of acupuncture to treat a level 2 Groin Sprain, and was able to regain his full range of motion after only one treatment! He was injured on June 21 and with the help of Auricular Medicine, he was back pitching 5 days later.

The good news is that if you are afraid of needles I can use my laser prob and get just as effective results!

I have also undertaken advanced studies in the Five Elements Theory. It was great to see physicians, neurologists, psychiatrists, and other health practitioners in the course (I was the only acupuncturist)! More and more main-stream health practitioners are looking more and more to alternative healing tools offered by TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Despite my obvious bias, kudos to them for striving to offer their patients more than just a prescription!

I have spent countless hours expanding my knowledge of cosmetic acupuncture, exploring both ancient techniques and modern philosophies. I have had the pleasure of learning traditional facial rejuvenation theory from one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject, Mary-Elizabeth Wakefield. I have also traveled to Denver, Colorado and Los Angeles to study facial rejuvenation techniques under the guidance of Dr. Martha Lucas. She is responsible for developing a new approach to ancient needling techniques for a more dynamic result in cosmetic acupuncture.

Blending Mary-Elizabeth’s traditional techniques with Dr. Lucas’ modern approach allows me to tailor my treatment plans to each of my individual patients.
Your acupuncture therapy program will be personalized to your situation and your desired results. We will discuss your lifestyle, including your skincare regimen to determine the contributing factors of aging. Good nutrition and exercise (including facial exercises and massage) will prolong the positive benefits achieved through acupuncture facial rejuvenation.

Cosmetic acupuncture improves circulation and carries nutrients to muscles and nerves throughout your body. The result is not only a younger appearance, but also enhanced skin tone and vitality of all muscles, yielding increased energy and an improved feeling of well-being.

Your self-esteem will improve, and you will be more enthusiastic about your on-going care for your face and your entire body. When you feel good, you look good! Acupuncture is an ideal, non-invasive, drug-free therapy for helping you do both.

Give me a call at 604-839-9789 to discuss your facial rejuvenation package!