Immune Boosting Ginger Tea

Winter is the time to seek inner warmth for our mind, body and soul. Internal and external balance occurs by adjusting ones health through eating, exercising and other factors affecting each season. Fresh ginger root tea is an easy way to help us achieve inner warmth, strength and balance during the winter season.

Ginger tea to boost your immune system and help combat cold symptoms.
You'll need:
1) 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root grated or chopped up
2) 1/4 fresh lemon
3) 1-2 tablespoons of honey

Place ginger in a pot with about 4 cups of cold water. Bring it to a boil then turn off the heat, cover and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes. Add freshly squeezed lemon and honey before serving. For an extra kick add just a pinch of cayenne powder. Drink 1-3 times a day as desired. Enjoy!

Acupuncture for Headache Relief

At my acupuncture South Loop office in Chicago, we use acupuncture for headaches. Headaches are often triggered by stress, cold/flu (sinus congestion), poor posture, inflammation from injury or trauma. When these disorders are not treated properly headaches can become chronic.

The most common headaches treated with acupuncture are:

Tension headaches: Mild to moderate band-like pain that affects the whole head. In some patients acupuncture for jaw pain may be used to relieve tension and stop headache.
Migraine: Throbbing, moderate to severe pain usually on one side of the head, that is worsened by physical activities, light, sounds or smells. Patient can have nausea and vomiting. Acupuncture for migraines can be effective after just one treatment.
Cluster Headache: The pain is severe and piercing, focused around the eye but can be felt in the nostrils as well, eyes may water, droop or swell. Pain can last from 15 minutes to 3 hours. Pain can be so severe the patient cannot lay down comfortably and frequently paces.
Others: sinus headaches, hypertension and anemia headaches.

Research studies support acupuncture for the treatment of headaches.  1) http://www.cochrane.org/CD007587/SYMPT_acupuncture-tension-type-headache 
This study states, “The available evidence suggests that a course of acupuncture consisting of at least six treatment sessions can be a valuable option for people with frequent tension-type headache".  
2) Medicine. http://mobile.journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/_layouts/15/oaks.journals.mobile/articleviewer.aspx?year=2016&issue=11170&article=00007 
"Acupuncture appears to reduce headache frequency among patients with episodic migraine"

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the occurrence of headache is related to exterior pathogenic factors and/or internal emotional factors. Below are some examples of this.

Exterior pathogenic factors such as cold/flu and allergies can cause headaches with or without the following symptoms: sneezing, runny nose, cough, irritated eyes, chills, or fever. Injury or trauma to the body.

Interior pathogenic factors like stress, anger, depression, excessive worrying can cause headaches with or without the following symptoms: fatigue, feeling of heaviness, digestive problems, dizziness, insomnia, irritability, stiff neck and shoulders.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) we determine the type or cause of the headaches based on the patients medical history and exam taken during your appointment. We discuss the characteristics of the headaches including its frequency, duration, location, severity and associated symptoms. Based on your TCM diagnosis I will develop a treatment to suite your unique symptoms.

If you have questions about how acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can help relieve your headaches email Tracie at tracie@deeprootsnm.com or call (312)759-7600. 

Acupuncture for the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety

In my South Loop acupuncture practice we use Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture for depression and anxiety. This can include symptoms of:

1) Fatigue, lack of motivation, irregular appetite
2) Feeling sadness for unknown reason
3) Constant over-thinking
4) Worrying, anger, panic attacks
5) Poor sleep, restlessness 

Acupuncture points for depression will be used during your session and may include other acupuncture therapies like Chinese Herbal Medicine.

Depression can happen for different reasons, sometimes it may be related to:
1) Genetic material passed down from your family
2) Develop from internalizing unwanted emotional stress over time  
3) Happen seasonally especially in winter when the days are shorter and colder.

Experiencing long term depression or anxiety can take its toll on your personal and social life, as well as your overall health and well being. Western medicine can offer some treatment for depression but often medication can leave you with other unwanted symptoms. Acupuncture for depression and anxiety is a safe and effective treatment.

“Does acupuncture work for depression?” In a research article, Commentary on the Cochrane Review of Acupuncture for Depression it states “a subgroup of participants with depression as a comorbidity experienced a reduction in depression with manual acupuncture compared with SSRIs”. "When patients used antidepressants in conjunction with acupuncture the results are very promising in reducing both the symptoms and severity of depression."

Acupuncture can also be a safe and effective alternative to antidepressants for women during pregnancy. In some circumstances using acupuncture in conjunction with psychotherapy can be a healthy addition to working through severe depression or trauma. 

In Eastern medicine when your feeling depressed your energy can be low, you can feel a lack of motivation and fatigue, this can be associated with stagnant qi. This qi or energy can become build up within the body causing episodes of anxiety and/ or irritability. 

Inducing Labor Naturally

Acupuncture for induction is used in my South Loop acupuncture office. It can be used to address any stress you’re feeling and begin inducing labor naturally. Your baby is unaware of due dates and time, instead he/she is busy developing and preparing for its new life. Acupuncture for cervical ripening and labor induction can boost your chance for a natural vaginal birth. Acupuncture to induce labor is an effective way to begin the process of gently moving things along.

Acupuncture is safe and can be useful at anytime during the pregnancy, most seek it out when they past their due date. I highly recommend most patients begin treatment at the beginning of their pregnancy or at the beginning of their last trimester for the best success rate at natural labor induction. This will allow any symptoms your experiencing to be addressed, like:
1) Swelling and discomfort
2) Back pain, hip and pelvic pain
3) Anxiety
While gently strengthening your body to prepare for birth. It may even help to: 
1) Decrease the pain during contractions
2) Shorten the average labor
3) Reduce recovery time
For some expectant moms, you may be experiencing discomfort in the last trimester and trying to deliver your baby on time can become very stressful. Acupuncture can help!

An article from WebMD, “Can Labor Be Induced Naturally?”, states a small research study from the University of North Carolina found 70% of women who received acupuncture went into labor on their own. Also the women who had acupuncture were less likely to deliver by cesarean section.

The Cochrane Library published an article “Acupuncture for the induction of labor” and it showed evidence of a change in cervical maturation for women receiving acupuncture. See the full article here: http://www.cochrane.org/CD002962/PREG_acupuncture-for-induction-of-labour

Many patients can go into labor 6-48 hours after their treatment. In some cases multiple treatments may be necessary. Acupuncture points for general relaxation are done in addition to points beneficial for acupuncture induction. Mild electrical stimulation may be added for further stimulation and promotion of labor. Acupuncture is a safe and effective choice that gently and naturally encourages your body toward the onset of labor.

Other helpful articles:

http://www.webmd.com/baby/inducing-labor-naturally-can-it-be-done

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002962.pub3/abstract;jsessionid=B67F99BA00

How Does Acupuncture Work

Traditional Chinese Medicine includes acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. They are apart of a system that restores balance and builds the body’s life force or energy known as Qi. Acupuncturists recognize particular pathways called “meridians” through which this energy circulates. There are 14 meridians within the body and they each correspond to a different organ and when ailments arise these meridians become unbalanced creating illness, disease or pain in the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine disease is the result of an imbalance or blockage in the body’s natural energetic flow. Such imbalances manifest in physical, emotional and psychosomatic stress related disorders. 

Acupuncture needling is one of a number of energy balancing techniques used to treat these imbalances. Also included, are various techniques like Chinese Herbal Medicine, moxibustion, gua sha, massage and cupping. These techniques are used to direct your body’s own natural energy to areas that are unbalanced. Some Western medical studies have done research, supporting the theory that acupuncture works by activating the central nervous system, each time a needle is placed within the body small signals may be sent through the central nervous system to the brain stimulating the release of serotonin and endorphins. 

What Does Acupuncture Do

Acupuncture works by treating the symptoms your experiencing and also works on a much deeper level to address the source of your symptoms. This is how acupuncture is able to treat so many conditions like, depression, anxiety, infertility, peripheral neuropathy, back pain and shoulder pain to name a few. It works on treating both internal and external symptoms, issues you have been dealing with for years, weeks or days. It can be used alone or along with your current Western Medical regimen. It has a remarkable effect on the whole body and can be noticed after just one treatment.