Everyday Acupuncture Podcast

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I'm Mary Beth Huwe, my husband Brian, and I run Huwe Acupuncture, an acupuncture and herbal medicine clinic in a super tiny town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. We are often asked, what does acupuncture treat? And we explain it in this way. Acupuncture treats people not diseases. That means no matter who you are or what you're suffering from, acupuncture is an option for you, not just an alternative or a last ditch.

But an actual, serious, thoughtful medicine. We've helped people aged one month to 92 years with conditions such as fatigue, headaches, menstrual problems, joint injuries, and pain, H I V, digestive complaints, back aches, earaches, nose bleeds, nightmares, constipation, anxiety, cancer, insomnia, nausea, brain injury, neuropathy, pregnancy, depression, lupus, diabetes, and smoking.

And each of those individuals, Individualized care. That's because effective acupuncture is specifically tailored for an individual at a certain place in time. For example, if five people came to me today for treatment of headaches, they would not all receive the same treatment. , each individual's point prescription would depend upon the very detailed picture of pathology, the location of the headache, the type of pain, the time at which it occurs, the triggers, the pulse picture, the tongue.

Each of these components is significant, both in its own right and in relationship to the other components. Furthermore, if those same five people with headaches came again next week, they would not receive the same points they received today. I reevaluate each individual each time, and though I may keep the treatment targeted toward the same general channels, I won't necessarily do so.

Of course, we cannot legally guarantee a cure, and we wouldn't want to make such a claim even if we could. What we do put forward is that even if acupuncture doesn't cure your disease, save your life, or remove your symptoms, it will very likely change the way you feel about your disease life and symptoms.

And this way, acupuncture greatly and profoundly reduces suffering. Some people wonder is acupuncture for. . The short answer is yes. Acupuncture is for anyone who wants it. Maybe you're in the best shape of your life, or maybe you feel like you're falling through the cracks of modern healthcare. Maybe you don't notice your body unless it's hurting you.

Maybe you have a vague sense that something is lacking in your health, or maybe you're very sick. Acupuncture is multidimensional. It has something to offer every one of those maybes because it is a medicine that takes the full constellation of the individual of you into account.

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I’m Michael Max from Yong Kang Chinese Medicine Clinic in St Louis, MO. And today I’m here to answer the question….

Will one session of acupuncture fix my problem?

this is common question. 

And it shines a light on our magical thinking about acupuncture.  

That it’s either magic or mumbo jumbo, or a wing and prayer attempt at stepping out of the box of convention and maybe getting lucky. 

One of the problems with acupuncture is that there are times people indeed do get dramatic relief from a single treatment. And so acupuncture gets a reputation as being magically effective. But for the most part we have to grow into our health, the same way we grew into our illnesses….over time. 

One of the curious things I noticed from practicing acupuncture that often people have a big change in how they feel after a treatment, and then the next time they come in the request is--- “whatever you did last time, do that again.” 

Which almost never brings a satisfiying result, because it’s impossible to do what we did last time. And the reason for that is you’re no longer the same as you were last time. Things are already different. 

There’s that phrase about you can’t step in the same river twice, because the river is in constant motion and so are we. 

The trick, if there is a trick, is to see what would be helpful in this moment, and our “this moment”….that’s always changing. 

I suppose if we were machines then we could be fixed with a particular acupuncture protocol, like changing out the oxygen sensor or brake pads on a car. But, we are biological beings. it’s more complicated. And if you’ve got any sort of complex issue, you already know what I’m getting at here. 

Things take time. Baking bread, raising children, growing orchids, developing in your career, or learning a new skill. As you likely already know, our health and wellbeing is the result of what we do over time. It helps to be realistic. 

So, it’s unlikely that acupuncture will be a one and done proposition. Just like eating well for a week is not going to change how your clothes fit. 

But if acupuncture is something you’ve been thinking about and want to give a try, then to give it a fair trial… plan on a series of 4-6 treatments. Within that time time, you’ll get a sense of how it might be helpful for you. As ever, judge by the results you get. To give acupuncture a try, contact your local licensed Acupuncturist. 

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This is Dr. Neal Sivula. I'm a veterinarian and owner of Dancing Paws Animal Wellness Center, a holistic veterinary practice located in beautiful Richfield, Ohio.

Today I'll answer the question- "I love acupuncture for myself, can I get it for my pet?" Of course, you can! The basic acupuncture certification program for Veterinarians in the United States is a post-graduate course, usually around 200 hours in length. We learn Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, acupuncture point locations, case management, and in some courses, students study herbal medicine as well. Some courses only teach TCM, others teach a combination of TCM and Medical Acupuncture, and some teach Medical Acupuncture exclusively. All courses offer a certification examination upon completion of the course and most require internship hours with a certified doctor and the submission of a few case reports to verify that the candidate can think logically through an acupuncture case. 

Like our human acupuncture colleagues, the basic training is only the start of our journey in acupuncture. Our certifications require that we participate in approved continuing education courses in acupuncture. These range in topic from refresher courses on basic acupuncture theory all the way to instruction in other techniques like the Balance Method or Scalp Acupuncture, or in other philosophies like Classical Chinese Medicine. Certification is just a jumping off point for every acupuncturist I know, continual education makes us better acupuncturists. 

Once trained, veterinarians use acupuncture in all sorts of ways in their practice. I am fortunate in that I am able to limit my practice to holistic medicine, while other doctors may offer acupuncture as something that they provide alongside their allopathic services.

So how should one find an acupuncturist for their pet? That can be a little complicated, as we don't have a centralized database for all veterinary acupuncturists. Resources that provide practitioner location services include the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, Chi University, Curacore Academy, the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, and the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies. Of course, doctors that are seeking acupuncture patients will have that service listed on their practice websites as well. 

If you're interested in hearing more about holistic veterinary medicine, I host “The Integrative Veterinarian" podcast where I have conversations with veterinarians and discuss their training and their lives as holistic practitioners.

Acupuncture is as powerful in our animal friends as it is in humans, so don't forget to consider acupuncture when thinking about your pet's health! 

Thanks for listening and be sure to tune in next week for the next Essential Point. 

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Can children really have acupuncture?

I’m Rebecca Avern, a paediatric acupuncturist at The Panda Clinic and The Little Acupuncture Room in Oxford UK. 

When I tell people what I do for a living, a common response is – can children really have acupuncture? 

The simple answer to that question is a resounding ‘yes’. And I’m going to explain to you why.

Firstly, acupuncture is a lot more than purely needles. It includes many other, non-insertive techniques that are both gentle and effective, and that are often used with children. These involve medical massage (specifically a system called paediatric tui na) and techniques that involve using small tools to gently stroke and tap the acupuncture channels. There are also some really useful modern innovations which are often used with children, such as small seeds which can be stuck on acupuncture points and low-level laser pens which can be used as an alternative to needles.

Despite what you might think, when approached in the right way the majority of children are actually OK with having acupuncture needles! The needles we use even finer than those used on adults – they may be just .12mm thick. A skilled paediatric practitioner will have developed a child-friendly needle technique which means that the child will barely feel the needle. Also, and crucially important, when working with children, the needles are never retained so there is no need for an energetic three year old to have to stay still! 

A good paediatric acupuncturist will make a decision with each individual child as to which of the many tools they have available is most suitable and, crucially, which will be best-tolerated by that child. 

They will understand the importance of a child feeling good about their acupuncture treatments. Rapport is everything in medicine, but even more so when it comes to children. The acupuncturist will prioritise building a therapeutic relationship with the child, ensuring they feel safe and relaxed. 

So, hopefully, you can now understand that acupuncture is actually more than possible with children, and that there are many gentle, non-needle techniques that are used. Most kids actually really enjoy their treatments!

I would like to add one more point which is not directly answering our original question but which is nevertheless hugely important. Acupuncture is effective in the treatment of many, many childhood conditions, both physical, mental and emotional. There is an ever-increasing body of research which highlight its benefits in a diverse range of conditions, from bedwetting, to ADHD, to colic, to cerebral palsy to name but a few. 

Finally, when looking for a practitioner, do find one who has some specialist training in paediatrics.

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Hi, this is Heidi Markland with Ancient Spring Acupuncture in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Today I’m gonna talk about a question that I often get asked when someone first finds out that I’m an acupuncturist. So, while most people are familiar with the idea of acupuncture treating pain, many people ask what if I feel pretty healthy overall, why should I try acupuncture?

First, if we look at the historical Chinese texts about acupuncture, we know that it was originally used as a preventative medicine. Dating back to 3 rd century B.C., the Yellow Emperor’s Classic speaks of treating disease by preventing illness before it even begins. 1 Chinese medicine is about keeping the body in balance. A good practitioner does this by observing a patient. So, imbalances can be seen in inspecting facial complexion, body type, fingernails, tongue appearance, and feeling the patient’s pulse, among other things that we can observe.

Let’s look at an example of someone with very few to no health complaints. She’s an active 56-year-old that seeks acupuncture because she wants to be able to stay as active as possible. In looking at her fingernails, one may notice some dryness and brittleness. Her complexion may show some redness in the cheeks and the tongue may be slightly redder than average. Along with some patient questioning, we may want to start acupuncture treatment focused on nourishing the yin. This will help prevent further imbalance and because the patient wants to stay active, we would also add points that support the sinews and muscles. Furthermore, the patient wants to make sure that her thinking remains sharp so we can add points to actually boost brain and marrow. Maybe the patient mentions that she feels her eyesight is beginning to lose its sharpness. We can add points for that! We can add points to help clear the eyes and strengthen them.

If you’re looking for more scientific reasoning……well, research shows that the insertion of acupuncture needles can create effects due to modulation of the somato-sensory system and of the autonomic nervous system.

Have I lost you? Basically, this means that science proves that acupuncture has a whole-body effect by tapping into the nervous system. Ear acupuncture, specifically, has been shown to stimulate the vagal nerve, which is responsible for the regulation of internal organ functions. And if these reactions weren’t enough, it’s proven that the body releases feel good endorphins with the insertion of acupuncture needles. So, at the very least, you should leave an acupuncture session with a sense of well-being and stress reduction. [2,3]

Do you have more acupuncture related questions? Be sure to subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an episode about other essential Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine related info.

1.Ni M. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine: A new translation of the neijing suwen with commentary. 1995, pg. 7

2.Birch S. Treating the patient not the symptoms: Acupuncture to improve overall health - Evidence, acceptance and strategies. Integr Med Res. 2019 Mar;8(1):33-41. doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2018.07.005. Epub

2018 Jul 31. PMID: 30949430; PMCID: PMC6428918. Available online:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6428918/

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How Medicinal Mushrooms Help Immune Function?

I’m Dr. Mason Bresett Chief Science Advisor and Naturopathic Doctor from Real Mushrooms in British Columbia, Canada. I’m here today to answer the common question I hear about how mushrooms help the immune system?

Firstly, mushrooms have been used as medicine for thousands of years and our understanding of them has grown exponentially with modern research and paired with traditional knowledge.

Mushrooms have the unique ability to inform our immune system to increase our defence system. Mushrooms have this impact due to their nutritional components, complex sugars called beta-d-glucans and their adaptogenic actions.

These immune supporting compounds can even be found in your local market mushrooms, in the produce aisle.

Mushrooms can help your immune system by fortifying how the 2 parts of our immune system

The first is called the innate immune system. It is our immune systems first response to an invader like a cold virus sort of like first responders, who ever can get there goes.. It is non specific - meaning your immune system sends broad acting immune cells to help neutralize the threat. Mushrooms help up regulate the hard working immune cells working behind the scene here.

2) The second place mushrooms help the immune system is The adaptive immune system. This part of your immune system creates specific immune cells to help defeat or neutralize the cold virus. This system also creates memory to help the system respond better the next time a similar microbe is encountered.

3) Mushrooms are also known as adaptogens, which means they can help the body to develop more resilience to stress, stress has a detrimental effect on the immune system. The adaptogenic properties of mushrooms help fortify the immune system. Mushrooms are also supportive of gut health, the majority of our immune system, resides in our gut.

This is why mushrooms have been increasing in popularity to help with immune prevention. Mushrooms paired with acupuncture is a great way to increase your immune system.

Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists are trained in nutrition and herbal based formulas which often include medicinal mushrooms. Please visit your local acupuncturist who can tell you more and help you with your immune system.

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Hi, this is Toby Daly at Flourish Medicine, and I have, I'm gonna be answering questions today from my patient, , do you have any questions about Chinese medicine? 

I do. I have had different types of treatment of acupuncture, and I am curious to know I've been coming in here just going completely by feel, but I'm curious to know how this particular acupuncture is special and how the four needles.

How do, how does it. 

Okay. Yeah. That's, that's so great. You've been, , paying close attention to the four needles. Uh, so the four needles, we're always trying to figure out what's going on in your body, what quality we need the most in your body. So we take those four needles and generate that quality. So, especially for your case, , your chief complaint has to do with digestive system.

So we're always trying to strengthen up what's going on in digestive system, pertains medicine, your digest system itself this time. Was too wet. So we're using those four needles to dry your body and take that burden off the digestive system. 

And does it, um, do the, obviously the needle placement varies depending on what my body is telling you, is it, does it work best for, it's been miraculous for me, for my digestion.

Does it work for other, um, other ailments? Like joint pain or, cancer treatment or anything like that, for sure. Yeah. I treat all those kind of different things again, when I'm always looking for the weakest spot for patients. So weakest spot could manifest as joint pain or cancer whatever's going on with the same principles with Chinese medicine, we, those four points, we always do the same thing.

We always make the body a little bit warmer. Or cooler or dryer or moisture, uh, too much things going up in the body. We bring down too much things going down. We bring up all these kind of things. The dynamics is always the similar ziwu medicine. And then the manifestation in all the different systems, like the, digestive system, neurological, along with, body mechanics and things like that, that all manifest differently.

Okay. Great. 

And then I'm curious about, do we have time to answer some about the Chinese herbs? Yes. , how do you determine which herbs to prescribe? It's the same thing? So for Chinese medicine, as long as we have a diagnosis that unlocks everything for us, , dietary recommendations, , point combinations, herbs, lifestyle modifications, everything's based on that diagnosis.

So once we have that diagnosis for you, like your, digestive system being too wet, then , the points, the herbs, the diet, the lifestyle, all that matches to that. So the herbal formula you're on right now has, is drying your digestive system. That's where you're getting that relief from. Okay.

All right. Thanks a lot, for, asking some questions about Chinese medicine today. 

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CAN ACUPUNCTURE TREAT LONG COVID OR POST COVID SYMPTOMS?

Better than you can imagine my friends, better than you could imagine. AAM was built for this type of multisystem mayhem.

But before I get into the how, first I want to state that “Long Covid or “post COVID conditions” are considered western diagnosis. AAM cannot diagnose or treat CoVID or LONG Haul Covid,  but we definitely can take someone who has been diagnosed or suspects they are suffering from the lasting effects of having had covid or strange symptoms from having a vaccine and treat them according to a chinese medical diagnoses. 

What I am saying is yes, but we would call it something different. 

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

“Post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems that people experience after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. 

There is no test to diagnose post-COVID conditions, and people may have a wide variety of symptoms that could come from other health problems. This can make it difficult for healthcare providers to recognize post-COVID conditions. 

This right here is why Chinese medicine shines. We treat the body holistically which means it’s all connected. We don’t view the body as machinery and only focus on the systems separately. We have no need to differentiate Long Haul Covid symptoms from existing health conditions. Like I said, as an AAMP we take a look at the whole picture of you. Ask a gazillion questions about what happened to get you here and prescribe a treatment to help you heal.

 Some people, especially those who had severe COVID-19, experience multiorgan effects or autoimmune conditions. Multiorgan effects can involve many body systems, including the heart, lung, kidney, skin, and brain. As a result of these effects, people who have had COVID-19 may be more likely to develop new health conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions, or neurological conditions compared with people who have not had COVID-19.”

Multi organ effects and autoimmune conditions are extremely complicated for western medicine because there is a different provider for each system. Yet with AAM we are actually looking for patterns in the body that direct our diagnosis. We naturally expect that when we treat the root of the problem the symptoms will resolve. And yes, we want to clear everything up, and boost your health so that your condition does not develop into a more serious condition. 

If you are experiencing strange or even not strange post covid symptoms that western medicine doesn’t have an answer for, give your local Acupuncturist a call. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

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My name is Dr. Heidi Lovie. I am a Chinese medicine practitioner in New York city Manhattan. And I've been in private practice since 2009. One of the questions I often get asked by medical doctors or other healthcare practitioners is how do I refer to myself and how do I refer to the field when I don't automatically open with, Hey, I'm Heidi, the acupuncturist Chinese medicine is really complex, beautiful medical system unto itself. And there are eight pillars in the medicine, five of them that we use therapeutically in the treatment room. And another three we don't often talk about because they're not applicable quite in the same way, but they're equally as important. So the treatment room five are nutrition, our nutrition herb.

Movement, which is the right movement for the right body. tuina a type of medical, massage and acupuncture. But when I say acupuncture, that's really a title heading for anything where I'm using a tool, whether that's the needles or whether that's gua sha cupping moxibustion, we have many things at our fingertips.

The other three, which I have to give a tip of the hat to because they're equally important. Are meditation, feng shui and cosmology. And please note, I did not say astrology because I don't care what your rising sign is most of the time, but what we're looking at is what. Has impact on our human experience internally, what is impacting our human experience locally and work or the home.

And what's impacting our human experience on a much grander scale, a cosmological, a broader scale. And those are things that we can sometimes shift a little bit, but they don't have quite the same therapeutic immediate impact that the treatment room five. And so because we have this deep, broad education acupuncture school is often in many places in the us four years, full time.

In addition to what other undergraduate you did, but because we have these, I can tell a patient, Hey, you don't need me. You need a steak. You don't need me. You have to go for a run you don't need me. You need to upgrade the diet, but then I'm actually able to give suggestions, work with the patient and offer solutions in a meaningful way where we can impact their health and move them towards their health goals.

So when you're looking for an acupuncturist, you always wanna find somebody who's licensed. , this is a difficult licensure to get. We have to graduate. We have to do clinical experience. We have to pass our boards. We often have state testing that we have to do as well. And you wanna look for somebody ideally, who is also an herbalist.

You don't always need that. In a practitioner, but it's a good thing to have because they have that extra thing to offer you in the treatment room. So we're much more than just needles and I encourage you to visit your local acupuncturist to see for yourself.

I'm Michael max from Yong Kang, Chinese medicine clinic in St. Louis, Missouri today, with some thoughts on the question of what does acupuncture feel like?

Acupuncture feels fresh baked bread, a stone perfectly skipped, an unexpected call from an old friend…. Like old photos recovered from a dusty attic, misplaced vitality from another time becomes accessible with the right stimulation from a few skillfully placed needles.

Acupuncture can turn you on dime, reflect back to you your brilliance, call you to account for your habituated excuses, and slip you into a quiet so nourishing and vast you cannot help but touch on appreciation and wonder.

It feels like a well-swung bat, a nicely banked shot, a satisfying sneeze. Acupuncture wiggles you through constrained emotions, it loosen the heart and expands your chest in the same deep-sigh way that forgiveness creates an extraordinary amount of space in your spirit....