Oasis Palisades – Acupuncture, Herbs & Massage

February 8, 2010 No comment

by Antonia Balfour

Losing weight is a major concern and struggle for so many people around the world. There is no magical method to shed off unwanted pounds. Lifestyle changes are the most crucial aspect of any successful weight loss program. But Chinese medicine does have a role as part of a holistic weight-loss program designed to achieve long-term results. Recent clinical trials confirm the efficacy of acupuncture and Chinese medicine as a successful tool in the treatment of obesity and weight loss.

How Does it Work

From the Chinese medicine perspective, weight gain comes when the Qi (life-force energy) of the Spleen meridian (different from the anatomical spleen, in Chinese medicine it governs digestion) is weak and the Qi of the Liver meridian (which flows energy throughout the body) is stuck. Weak Spleen Qi leads to a build-up of phlegm. When we think of “phlegm” we think of a runny nose or congestion in the lungs. But in Chinese medicine “phlegm” is a broader concept. Fat, or adipose tissue, is said to be a build-up of phlegm-dampness.

Acupuncture points, foods, and herbs are chosen to boost the Spleen Qi, flow the Liver Qi, and eliminate phlegm-dampness.

In addition, psychological aspects of losing weight are addressed.

The key to treatment with Chinese medicine is that each treatment is customized to address the individual needs of every patient.

In treating a patient trying to lose weight, points may also be chosen to: relieve hunger, aid metabolism, reduce stress, control compulsive eating, and calm the spirit.

Avoid Fad Diets –

Any diet focused on eating in an unnatural way may initially shed pounds, but there’s no way the weight will stay off.

Eating cabbage soup for a week or eliminating carbs completely will help one lose weight in the short term. But both the body and mind will invariably shift causing even more intense cravings in order to rebuild stores of energy. This can begin a cycle of yo-yo dieting which ultimately slows metabolism and creates imbalances within the body.

What to Eat –

In general, the focus of healthy eating according to Chinese medicine is efficiency.

Foods must be easily and efficiently digested in order to produce energy. Waste must be efficiently eliminated so that unwanted turbidity doesn’t build up in the body.

Chinese medicine practitioners generally recommend a “clear, bland diet” consisting of complex carbohydrates from grain and beans, and lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Steamed vegetables are easier on the digestive system than raw ones. Meats, sugar, fats, and spices are used sparingly. A healthy diet is one with a lot of variety.

Ideally, a specific eating plan should be customized for each person according to their Chinese medicine body type. A person who runs hot should avoid warming foods and spices like garlic, onions, and cinnamon, whereas these foods may be beneficial for someone who runs cold.

In creating an eating plan, the most important thing is to find a way of eating that can be maintained on a long-term basis. Everyone needs an “indulgence” every now and then, but these should be the exception, not the rule.

Clinical Research

Recent studies published in the International Journal of Obesity and the Journal of Medical Acupuncture and show acupuncture groups more successful in losing weight than control groups.

In Conclusion

The holistic approach to losing weight with Chinese medicine aims to assist people to take weight off and keep it off. Results are achieved through improving digestion, improving metabolism, decreasing food cravings, reducing appetite, and balancing emotions. Because of the holistic nature of the treatment, lasting changes occur on both a physical and an emotional level leading to long-term successful results.

Acupuncture, Health, Pacific Palisades, Weight Loss

October 5, 2009 No comment

By Anthony Ohm

The negative effects of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and memory loss due to aging can be reversed or held off from rapid acceleration by using the techniques developed by Aaron Mattes’ Active Isolated Stretching (AIS). Virtually every person afflicted with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or age-related memory loss has muscular rigidity in the neck. Although, researchers are unsure why this happens in Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, rigidity of the neck muscles interferes in the circulation of blood to the brain. While Active Isolated Stretching treatment is not a cure for Alzheimer’s and dementia, it is very effective in reversing many of the negative effects of the disease.

According to Carol Turkington, author of The Encyclopedia Of Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s is caused by a degeneration of brain cells which results in those cells being unable to communicate with one another and eventually dying off. Scientists are unsure what triggers brain cell degeneration typically found in Alzheimer’s patients.

What is known, is that brain cells need nutrients and oxygen to function properly. Through blood circulation, the brain receives necessary nutrients and oxygen. If the brain does not receive adequate blood circulation, then cognitive abilities of the brain can decline: memory decreases, concentration falls off, decision-making is impaired. Why? Because the brain is lacking fuel. There are other factors for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, namely, the presence of plaques, tangles, and inflammation in the brain. These factors may or may not be affected by Active Isolated Stretching.

Nonetheless, muscular rigidity is another characteristic that aggravates mental function in dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. And this aspect can be helped through Active Isolated Stretching.

The neck muscles lie above the arteries that bring blood flow to the brain. The principal pathway of circulation to the brain are the carotid and vertebral arteries. The carotid artery delivers the majority of blood flow to the brain. And the carotid artery is directly underneath a major neck muscle: the sternocleidomastoid. A shortened sternocleidomastoid neck muscle is likely to be inflamed. Inflammation and shortness of this muscle can place pressure onto the carotid artery, potentially limiting circulation from reaching the brain.

Another critical muscle group to correct are the scalene muscles of the neck. As the scalenes become inflexible, the head is pulled forward and the jaw drops downward. Circulation to the brain is upward travel through the arteries. If postural problems cause the head to jut forward, then the pathway (the artery) may also be contorted which impairs circulation.

While muscular rigidity of the neck is characteristic of Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers, a person over fifty-five years of age may notice memory loss and not be suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. This person’s memory may only be affected by neck muscle rigidity causing a reduction of “fuel to the brain.”

Most life activities encourage us to pull our shoulders and necks forward. Computer work, for example, encourages us to jut our heads forward. Furthermore, the aging process causes muscles to become inflexible. Active Isolated Stretching treatment can unwind these muscular restrictions that are impeding mental processes.

As Alzheimer’s and dementia problems begin for one person, that person’s entire family is affected. Family members begin considering hiring an in-home caregiver or changing their schedule to provide supervision for their afflicted. This can lead to sending an elderly person to a supervised day care facility and in later stages, sending that person to a nursing home. According to Joy Glenner, author of When Your Loved One Has Dementia, more than 50% of nursing home admissions are due to Alzheimer’s disease. Active Isolated Stretching can help put a halt to this downward spiral. Individuals that receive treatment may regain or improve upon much of their lost mental cognition. Mood swings and irritability may decrease as the brain receives more nutrients and oxygen. Rather than letting a person continually slip into mental decline and depression, Active Isolated Stretching offers hope to return to independence. To take back what has been lost. This is the greatness of Active Isolated Stretching: a return to life.

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Active Isolated Stretching (AIS): The Mattes Method is a type of flexibility training with therapeutic benefits to a broad scope of people.

Benefits of AIS can be applied to three categories:
Highly beneficial for all physical ailments, including: back, neck, shoulder, foot, etc.
More specifically: herniated disc, bulging disc, degenerative disc, sciatica, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, bunions, frozen shoulder, bursitis, arthritis, tendonitis, kyphosis (dowager’s hump), temporomandibular jaw dysfunction (TMJ), migraines/headaches, bunions, plantar fasciitis, neuropathy, nerve pain.

Highly beneficial for neuromuscular diseases and disorders, including: Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, dementia, memory loss, complications from stroke, multiple sclerosis (ms), spinal cord injuries, paralysis, cerebral palsy.

Highly beneficial for athletes, including: athletes of all ages and abilities; anyone interested in improving health, weight loss, or sports performance.

Anthony Ohm is an advanced practitioner of Active Isolated Stretching & Strengthening.
He has studied over 460 hours directly with the developer of AIS, Aaron Mattes.
Many people in California may be unfamiliar with Active Isolated Stretching. Study with Aaron Mattes requires traveling to Mr. Mattes clinic in Sarasota, Florida. The long distance from California means that there are only a few AIS practitioners in Los Angeles county. Furthermore, Aaron Mattes has avoided large scale publicity. He was invited on Oprah Winfrey’s show three times, and each time Aaron Mattes declined the invitation. He felt that such large scale publicity would result in an overload of clients seeking him specifically for treatment.

Contact Oasis to schedule an appointment with Anthony Ohm: 310-454-5855

Health

August 16, 2009 1 Comment

By Anthony Ohm

I suffered from chronic low back pain for over twenty years. At a young age I did one hundred full sit-ups (abdominal exercises) daily. Later I was to learn that this caused my psoas muscle to become tight and distorted – beginning the onset of pain in my low back region. I reported low back pain to physicians at the age of sixteen (they did nothing). By 2001, at the age of thirty-three, my low back pain would occur daily after four to five hours of normal activity. By late afternoon, I had to lie down for the rest of the day to ease the pain.

I went to over forty specialists looking for help. These practitioners included: Neurosurgeons, Internists, Orthopedic surgeons, Physical therapists, Psychologists, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Rolfers, and Massage therapists.
The methods I tried included:
* Yoga (five years of practice including Hatha, Iyengar, Kundalini, and Astanga)
* Thai massage in Thailand
* Doctor prescribed medications
* Dr. John Sarno’s method
* Rolfing and Structural Integration
* Gary Glum’s Neuromuscular reeducation
* Richard Griner’s cross fiber technique
* Richard Rossiter’s method
* John Barnes’ Myofascial Release
* Pilates and Gyrotonic
* DRX-9000 machine and Inversion (anti-gravity) machine
* Michael Leahy’s Active Release Technique
* Alexander Technique
* Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF stretching)
* Shiatsu
* Russian Massage
* Raw food and vegetarian diets
* Swimming and walking

My diagnosis was called different names by different specialists: degenerative disc, flat back syndrome, anteriorly tilted pelvis, sacro-iliac pain, and non-specific back pain (which means the doctor doesn’t know). Irregardless of the name being ascribed to the condition, none of these specialists could do anything about it. I was seeing one specialist after the other. I wasn’t getting any better and I was seeing a lot of overlap between different styles. In 2003, I enrolled in massage school and later attended instructor training courses in Pilates and Gyrotonic. I needed more information to better discern my path for recovery. I was extremely frustrated by the ineffectiveness of the numerous treatment programs I had tried. From these experiences, I decided not to become a practitioner of any method unless it significantly helped me to resolve my own pain.

In 2007, I attended a four-day workshop with Aaron Mattes and his method: Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening. Feeling that the Mattes Method offered potential, I interned at Aaron Mattes’ clinic in Sarasota, Florida. After my first treatment session, something productive was finally happening.

I had been experimenting with different stretching systems for over ten years. Yoga, Thai massage, Russian massage, PNF stretching, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Active Release Technique, Alexander technique, Rossiter method, and Rolfing all used some stretching to facilitate recovery, but Aaron Mattes’ Active Isolated Stretching put a new approach on how to stretch. I received some benefit from the other methods, but the benefit was short lived – usually lasting a day or two. Aaron Mattes, trained as a kinesiologist, explained why the common methods of stretching were not optimal. He identified seven mistakes in common stretching and proposed a new route to cure musculoskeletal pain.

Before my first treatment in Active Isolated Stretching, two hours of standing was enough to trigger pain in my low back. After that first session, I was able to stand and move around for eights hours! I continued with more private sessions with Aaron Mattes and after the third session I was returning to a normal schedule of work and social activity. I no longer have to stop all activity at 5PM to lie down. And I attribute my recovery entirely to the Mattes Method. Since that first internship, I’ve completed four hundred and fifty hours of direct study with Aaron Mattes. He refers to me as his top practitioner in the state of California.

Active Isolated Stretching is good for everyone. Athletes will improve their performance, people with physical pain will resolve their ailments, elderly will improve the functioning of their bodies and minds, and those with neuromuscular disorders will greatly benefit, including complications from stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, fibromyalgia, spinal cord injuries, and scoliosis.
Contact Oasis Palisades at (310) 454-5855 to arrange an appointment with Anthony Ohm.

Health, Holistic Health, Massage, Pacific Palisades

July 14, 2009 No comment

One specialty of our acupuncturist Sharon Skok is Face Rejuvenation treatments. She has completed advanced training and certification in Constitutional Facial Acupuncture Renewal. These amazing treatments incorporate customized Chinese herbal masks and moisturizers with acupuncture protocols designed to meet the specific needs of each patient. It is a balanced process of treating both the internal body and the external skin for more vibrant health that shines through the skin.

Stress, poor nutrition, long work hours, and lack of restful sleep affect the aging process. The result is dull skin, increased wrinkles, lack of tone, and even breakouts. A series of Face Rejuvenation treatments diminishes fine lines, lessens deep wrinkles, improves skin tone, and increases radiance. The treatments can also reduce acne breakouts and lighten skin discoloration. Not only will you look 5-10 years younger, you will also feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

TREATMENT PROTOCOL
The treatment series involves 12-15* weekly acupuncture treatments. The introductory session will leave the client feeling relaxed, the mind calm and the skin glowing. After 5-7 treatments, clients begin to see the lasting results as wrinkles lessen and skin becomes more firm. Upon completion of the series, monthly follow-up sessions are recommended to maintain results or a few sessions prior to special events to re-boost the effect.

SPECIAL EVENTS TUNE-UP
The face rejuvenation treatments are also a great freshening of the face prior to a big event such as a wedding. A shorter series of 5-7* sessions can be done to brighten skin tone and keep you relaxed before the big day if skin aging and wrinkles are not a priority at this time.
*more treatments may be necessary depending on the condition of the skin and one’s health.

CAUTIONS (treatments are not recommended for individuals with):
- uncontrolled high blood pressure
- migraines within the last 6 months
- presence of a cold or flu
**standard acupuncture is recommended to address the above issues prior to beginning the face rejuvenation series

RESULTS
Patients report seeing more color and circulation in their faces, seeing a lessening in small and deep lines in the face, and noticing increased toning and elasticity in the face. They feel their skin is more youthful and radiant.

The initial facial rejuvenation treatment lasts for approximately 2 hours with follow-up treatments lasting from 75 to 90 minutes each. Call Oasis Palisades at (310) 454-5855 for pricing and additional details.

Acupuncture, Holistic Health, Pacific Palisades

February 14, 2009 No comment

By Karen Cohen, Certified Nutritionist

The New Year, 2009, is most certainly going to bring many changes.

January is a good time to make positive changes in one’s life; to resolve to eat healthier, start an exercise program or lose weight and maintain the loss. These objectives can only be achieved and sustained when healthy choices become part of one’s everyday existence.

Lifestyle modification, like calorie cutting and a regular exercise regime lead to successful long term results. Any program promising a “quick fix” does that only for a short while and then old habits find their way back.

In future newsletters, I will address issues such as the benefits of eating foods with a low glycemic index for a healthier body or creating a fitness program effective for one’s cardiovascular health as well as resistance training for muscle mass and flexibility.

My work with hundreds of patients has taught me that the success of a lifestyle-change program is enhanced if one has the proper support to help keep focused, motivated and accountable as one makes behavioral and habit changes.

I invite you to visit my website at www.learn2eatright.com for some of the answers and to call me (310-444-9755) to discuss how I can help you follow through on keeping your New Years Resolutions.

I wish everyone a very happy, peaceful and healthy 2009.
Karen

To get started with your nutrition program to lead a more healthy life, contact Karen Cohen directly at (310) 444-9755 or by e-mail at learn2eatright@yahoo.com.

Acupuncture, Health, Herbs, Holistic Health, Metabolism, Nutrition, Pacific Palisades

October 2, 2008 1 Comment

This month brings us National Infertility Awareness week from October 19th – 25th. Over seven million American couples are affected by infertility. Chinese medicine has become increasingly popular as a treatment option as awareness of its effectiveness has grown.

Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for hundreds of years to treat infertility and includes the use of acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and dietary and lifestyle therapy. Benefits range from improved ovarian and follicular function to an increase in blood flow to the uterus, helping to create a thick, rich lining. Chinese medicine is also used to treat men, increasing sperm count and improving mobility and morphology. The key to successfully enhancing fertility with Chinese medicine is to bring balance to the body and emotions. Treatment is customized to meet the individual needs of each person. Stress relief and relaxation therapies are incorporated for overall health.

Western Fertility Treatment Combined with Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine can be used on its own, or safely combined with modern western fertility treatment.
Studies showing increased success rates of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) when acupuncture is done before and after embryo transfer have made headlines in recent years. In a widely published German study, those using acupuncture with IVF achieved a 42% clinical pregnancy rate compared with only 26% that did not receive acupuncture. A recent American study involving 114 women showed that 51% of the women who had both acupuncture and IVF treatments became pregnant versus only 36% of the women who had IVF alone. In addition, while 8% of the women in the acupuncture group miscarried, the rate of miscarriage in the IVF-only group was 20%.

Success with acupuncture and IVF is attributed to acupuncture’s actions of:
•    Improving ovarian function to produce better quality eggs
•    Regulating hormones to produce larger numbers of follicles
•    Increasing blood flow to the uterus and increasing the thickness of uterine lining
•    Relaxing patients and decreasing stress
•    Preventing uterine contractions
•    Lessening the side-effects of medications used during IVF
•    Strengthening and regulating the immune system
•    Improving male semen to create better quality and quantity of embryos
•    Decreasing the chance of miscarriage

Other western treatments such as IUI, GIFT, ZIFT, and hormonal therapies are also more effective when acupuncture is added as an adjunctive therapy.

The Chinese Medicine Perspective
From a Chinese medicine perspective, the goal of treatment is to bring balance to each patient by addressing their unique “patterns of disharmony” (or areas or imbalance).

Patterns of disharmony take into account -

•    Yin & Yang –
Yin and Yang are opposites. A person’s symptoms can be looked at in terms of yin/yang parameters. For example, cold is yin and heat is yang.  Damp is yin and dry is yang. An acupuncturist’s job is to apply the theories of yin and yang to all aspects of the patient. Specifically for fertility, one would ask – do the feet feel especially cold? Is the abdomen particularly cold to the touch? Are there hot flashes? These symptoms indicate Chinese medicine imbalances of yin and yang.
•    Qi, Blood, and Body Fluids –
Qi (vital energy), blood, and body fluid are fundamental substances that sustain health. Imbalances in these three areas can cause a variety of health problems including difficulty conceiving. Qi, blood, and body fluids can be weak and deficient, in which case they are unable to nourish the body and function properly. Deficient qi can cause fatigue, heavy periods, or shortness of breath. Deficient blood and body fluids might create late periods, dry skin and hair, dizziness, and possibly blurry vision. On the other hand – qi, blood and body fluids can be excess and overflowing in which case they become stuck or stagnant. Blood that is stuck can cause sharp, fixed pain such as severe menstrual cramps. On the emotional side, stuck qi can cause frustration and irritability. To attain balance, these three vital substances need to be strong and healthy in their flow.
•    Channels and Collaterals –
The channels and collaterals are considered to be a series of connecting passages through which qi and blood flow. The primary channels are indicated by the lines that are shown on acupuncture charts. Ten of the 12 primary channels are named for organs they are associated with. It’s important to note that these organs in Chinese medicine are not the same as their western counterparts. The Chinese Kidney, for example, may have some of the same functions as the western Kidney, but it is a much broader concept than simply the anatomical organ. If the yin of the Kidney meridian is deficient there may be feeling of heat or hot flashes, ringing in the ears, back pain, or dry symptoms such as dry throat, dry mouth, or vaginal dryness. A Kidney yang deficiency creates low libido, frequent urination during the night, cold feet, or pain in the back and knees. In both these cases, it’s likely that the anatomical kidney is perfectly healthy, but both imbalances hinder fertility.  Imbalances in the Liver meridian can also lead to difficulty conceiving. Frustration, anger, and irritability are associated with the Liver meridian and cause the qi to become stuck or stagnant.

This brief explanation of patterns of disharmony just touches the surface in describing the many different ways an acupuncturist analyzes imbalance. Most patients have multiple patterns going on at a time, sometimes as many as eight or ten.

The Best of Both Worlds
We are fortunate to be living where we do and to have options available to enhance and optimize fertility. Chinese medicine offers us centuries of holistic wisdom, insuring that the whole person is brought to a state of balance and vibrant health. Western medicine provides us with the high tech power of modern assisted reproductive technologies and the ability to micromanage human physiology. When used in conjunction with one another, many people discover “the best of both worlds.”

To learn about the Oasis Palisades Fertility Enhancement Treatment Program, click here.

Acupuncture, Fertility, Health, Herbs, Holistic Health, Infertility, Pacific Palisades

August 4, 2008 No comment

About Depression and Anxiety
Although depressive disorders and anxiety are commonly seen together, there are distinct differences between a diagnosis of depression and one of anxiety.

Common symptoms of depressive disorders include emotions such as
hopelessness, despair and anger. Energy levels are usually very low, and depressed people often feel overwhelmed by day-to-day tasks and personal relationships. There is a decreased interest in most activities, possible insomnia, fatigue, and feelings of emptiness and worthlessness. When depression is at its worst, hopelessness sets in and, in some people suffering from severe depressive disorders, thoughts of suicide ensue.

Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder may include excessive, ongoing worry and tension; an unrealistic view of problems; restlessness or a feeling of being “edgy”; irritability; muscle tension; headaches; difficulty concentrating; trouble falling or staying asleep; and being easily startled.

In addition, people with generalized anxiety often have other anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias.

According to the Nation Institute of Mental Health, 18.8 million American adults suffer from clinical depression and 19.1 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders.

Research on Acupuncture’s Effectiveness
The National Institutes for Health (NIH) have established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine which funds research studies in various holistic treatments. In one study of women suffering from depression, 70% of participants experienced at least a 50% reduction of symptoms. This research marked the first U.S. randomized, controlled, double-blind study of acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating depression. The NIH funded study concludes, “Acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones in a good way.”

Stanford researchers, using a small sample of 61 pregnant women, found that those who were given acupuncture treatments had significantly fewer depressive symptoms. The researchers conclude that “acupuncture holds promise for treatment of depression during pregnancy,” and may help with the long term management of depression.  In an Australian study, 65% of patients diagnosed with anxiety and pain reported that acupuncture “greatly helped” relieve their symptoms. Another 24% said that it “helped.”

Further studies show that Traditional Chinese Medicine used in combination with western pharmaceutical treatment of depression and anxiety is more effective than either modality when used on its own.

The Chinese Medicine Perspective
With such promising statistics from Chinese Medicine research studies, it’s important to look at how Chinese medicine views depression and anxiety.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has addressed the link between the body, spirit and mind for more than 2000 years. In TCM, the belief is that illness affects both the mind and body; there is no separation between the two. Therefore, emotional disturbances have associated physical symptoms and, in reverse, physical disorders evoke emotional responses.

The first objective of a TCM practitioner is to discern a relationship between all symptoms a patient presents with in order to establish what is called a “pattern of disharmony”. Treatment is aimed at restoring harmony and bringing the body into balance, and the whole person is always taken into account. The theories used to establish the TCM “patterns of disharmony” include Yin and Yang, Internal Organs; Qi, Blood and Body Fluids, and Five Phases. (Click here for more detailed information). The whole person is always taken into account.

Patterns of Disharmony in Depression and Anxiety
In looking at Patterns of Disharmony, the most important thing to remember is that organs in Chinese medicine are not the same as their western anatomical counterparts. If you have a Pattern of Disharmony affecting your “Liver Qi” or your “Heart Yin”, it is highly unlikely that anything is wrong with your western liver or heart. We capitalize the first letter of the Chinese medicine organs to make the distinction.

Patterns seen in depression and anxiety include:

* Heart and spleen Qi deficiency – Physical symptoms may include palpitations, insomnia, poor memory, lack of appetite, fatigue, poor digestion, and a pale tongue. Emotional symptoms include excessive worry and feeling timid.

* Heart Yin deficiency – Physical symptoms may include absentmindedness, dizziness, insomnia, low back soreness, dryness, sensations of heat, tinnitus, and a red tongue with little coating. Emotional symptoms include sensitivity and irritability. Yin deficiency is commonly seen during menopause.

* Phlegm  – Physical symptoms may include obesity, feeling weighted down, congestion, dizziness, fatigue and a swollen tongue. Emotional symptoms include depression and feeling cloudy or experiencing dullness of thought.

* Liver Qi stagnation – Physical symptoms may include nausea, bloating, premenstrual symptoms, rib-side pain, belching and possibly insomnia. Emotional stress affects the liver and includes irritability, frustration, and anger.

* Liver and/or Heart fire – Fire is often caused by prolonged Liver qi stagnation. Therefore, the symptoms are the same as above and also include a bitter taste in the mouth, headaches, ringing in the ears, dizziness, sores in the mouth, red eyes, red face and a quick temper.

Treatment
Patterns of disharmony usually do not exist on their own. Typically, patients manifest with anywhere between 3 and 8 patterns at any given time. This exemplifies the need for customized treatment – each patient should be diagnosed according to his or her own unique constitution and patterns of disharmony.

For example, an older frail man who has been diagnosed with depression comes in with a pale tongue, low energy, and sadness. He is deficient and given herbs and treated with acupuncture points to boost and strengthen his “Qi”. In contrast, if an overweight woman with a red face, headaches, bad temper and a heavily coated tongue comes in (also with a diagnosis of depression), she is more excess in nature and is given herbs and treated with acupuncture to clear her phlegm and heat. Had the man been treated identically to the woman (both with western diagnoses of depression), his symptoms may have worsened.

Generally, results with acupuncture and herbs are cumulative, improving week by week. Treatment begins with one or two sessions per week and tapers off as the condition improves.

Acupuncture and herbs are not only safe, but also effectively used together with anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. Many patients find these medications to be inadequate at completely resolving their symptoms. Others, together with their doctors, would like to wean themselves to lower dosages in order to decrease the occurrence of side effects. Patients turn to acupuncture and herbs for a variety of reasons – mostly because they find it really works!

Acupuncture, Anxiety, Depression, Health, Herbs, Holistic Health, Pacific Palisades

July 8, 2008 No comment

Craniosacral therapy is a light-touch treatment that enhances the body’s natural healing capabilities. It has been used for nearly 30 years as an effective treatment for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and loss of function.

A craniosacral therapy session involves the therapist placing  their hands lightly on the patient’s body, tuning in to the patient by ‘listening’ with their hands to the craniosacral system. By gently working with the spine, the skull and its cranial sutures, diaphragms, and fascia, the restrictions of nerve passages are said to be eased, the movement of CSF through the spinal cord can be optimized, and misaligned bones are said to be restored to their proper position. Craniosacral therapists use the therapy to treat mental and emotional stress as well as physical pain disorders.

An osteopath, John Upledger, is credited with developing Craniosacral Therapy. While assisting during a surgery in 1970, Dr. Upledger observed a rhythmic movement of the dura mater, the membrane that encompasses the brain and spinal cord.  The findings of the research team he supervised first established the scientific basis for the craniosacral system. The foundation of craniosacral therapy is the belief that the sacrum moves synchronously with the cranial bones.

The Craniosacral Therapy practitioner works with the patient to release restrictions and assist the body’s self-correcting mechanisms. Rather than deciding how these changes should be made, the therapist follows cues from the body on how to proceed. Generally using about five grams of pressure, or about the weight of a nickel, the practitioner evaluates the body’s craniosacral system. This system plays a vital role of maintaining the environment in which the central nervous system functions. It consists of the membranes and fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord as well as the attached bones – including the skull, face and mouth, which make up the cranium, and the tailbone area, or sacrum. Since the brain and spinal cord are contained within the central nervous system, it is easy to see that the craniosacral system has powerful influence over a wide variety of bodily functions.

Craniosacral Therapy has been shown to alleviate a wide range of conditions, including traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, motor-coordination impairments, chronic neck and back pain, scoliosis, central nervous system disorders, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), stress and tension-related problems, and orthopedic problems. While the focus of Craniosacral Therapy is to uncover the source of the problem, symptom relief also is achieved. The length of time and number of sessions needed is extremely variable and depends, among other factors, on the complex layers of injury and trauma that may mask the original cause of the problem as well as the body’s defense mechanisms. Due to its gentleness and effectiveness, many people include Craniosacral Therapy as a component in their personal wellness programs. They report having more energy, sleeping better and being sick less often.

Patients often report a sense of deep relaxation during and after the treatment session, and may feel light-headed . This is popularly associated with increases in endorphins. Craniosacral therapy is claimed to be particularly beneficial in children. Adverse side effects of treatment are uncommon.

Holistic Health, Massage, Pacific Palisades, Pediatrics