Continue reading »]]> Campaign For Wellness
As many of you know my wife and I are currently expecting our first child this December. Knowing that we will be caring for an infant, I became very aware of the need for my wife and me to take care of ourselves so we can better care for our child. During these next few months we are working to establish healthier habits for our growing family. We have sat down together and came up with a list of small things we can add to our routines, substitute with a better choice or make small improvements to our environment.

Since health extends to our community as well as ourselves, I’d like to announce our Campaign for Wellness; to help our patients live a healthier lifestyle along with us.

Please read the following tips below and by implementing any of these few small tips you will start on your path to wellness.

Campaign For Wellness

1. Take your Vitamins. Even with the best diets nearly 92% of Americans as suffering from a Vitamin deficiency. Taking a good quality Multi-Vitamin will help make sure you get all the building blocks your body needs to continue to function properly. Try getting a gender specific formula and add additional supplements based on family history or your specific needs.

2. Take a Hike. Try adding an additional 15-20 minutes of walking to your routine. Not only will this help burn more calories, but will help with circulation and may also help you relax. At the very least try taking the stairs instead of the elevator each day.

3. Drink more Water. Everyone’s heard 8 glasses a day. Increasing water consumption helps with everything from easing headaches to staving off hunger. Try swapping just one soda, juice or coffee with a glass of water.

4. Early to bed, early to rise. Well, not necessarily early, but aim for regular sleeping and waking times. Establishing a sleeping a normal sleep cycle has been shown to keep energy levels more consistent throughout the day.

5. Setup a regular eating schedule. Normal small meals keep the metabolism running. Having irregular meals, or eating few larger meals put extra stress on the digestive system, causing food to sit around and your body to improperly break down nutrients.

6. Keep Regular Health Care Appointments! This one may be the most important thing you do. Make sure you are taking care of all aspects of your health, including regular checkups, dental care and wellness visits (especially your acupuncture treatments).

Follow these steps and you can, with minimal effort improve your health for years to come.

Continue reading »]]> Campaign For Wellness
As many of you know my wife and I are currently expecting our first child this December. Knowing that we will be caring for an infant, I became very aware of the need for my wife and me to take care of ourselves so we can better care for our child. During these next few months we are working to establish healthier habits for our growing family. We have sat down together and came up with a list of small things we can add to our routines, substitute with a better choice or make small improvements to our environment.

Since health extends to our community as well as ourselves, I’d like to announce our Campaign for Wellness; to help our patients live a healthier lifestyle along with us.

Please read the following tips below and by implementing any of these few small tips you will start on your path to wellness.

Campaign For Wellness

1. Take your Vitamins. Even with the best diets nearly 92% of Americans as suffering from a Vitamin deficiency. Taking a good quality Multi-Vitamin will help make sure you get all the building blocks your body needs to continue to function properly. Try getting a gender specific formula and add additional supplements based on family history or your specific needs.

2. Take a Hike. Try adding an additional 15-20 minutes of walking to your routine. Not only will this help burn more calories, but will help with circulation and may also help you relax. At the very least try taking the stairs instead of the elevator each day.

3. Drink more Water. Everyone’s heard 8 glasses a day. Increasing water consumption helps with everything from easing headaches to staving off hunger. Try swapping just one soda, juice or coffee with a glass of water.

4. Early to bed, early to rise. Well, not necessarily early, but aim for regular sleeping and waking times. Establishing a sleeping a normal sleep cycle has been shown to keep energy levels more consistent throughout the day.

5. Setup a regular eating schedule. Normal small meals keep the metabolism running. Having irregular meals, or eating few larger meals put extra stress on the digestive system, causing food to sit around and your body to improperly break down nutrients.

6. Keep Regular Health Care Appointments! This one may be the most important thing you do. Make sure you are taking care of all aspects of your health, including regular checkups, dental care and wellness visits (especially your acupuncture treatments).

Follow these steps and you can, with minimal effort improve your health for years to come.

Continue reading »]]> My little clinic in Baltimore is growing and growing… along with the bellies of many of my patients.

Acupuncture is amazing for a great variety of problems, but the one that always seems to impress me is it’s great success rate with infertility. Over the years I’ve treated many women with various issues leading to infertility. In my last blog entry, “I’m in the Business of turning babies,” I briefly mentioned how stress reduction and increased circulation greatly improve success at conception both naturally and with artificial insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Studies have shown that women undergoing in vitro fertilization and receive acupuncture nearly double the success rate of women undergoing IVF alone. With that said, we can also help increase the chances of women getting pregnant without going through IUI and IVF.

As I stated before the reduction in stress is probably the biggest factor in dealing with conception. Stress can greatly influence a woman’s menstrual cycle to the point of throwing off ovulation or even stopping menses completely. With acupuncture your body enters it’s parasympathetic mode, which is similar to a deep sleep or meditative state. During this time your body lets go of stress, hormone levels can normalize, and circulation to the uterus can improve. All big bonuses for the trying parent. If you don’t think stress is a big factor, I’d like to share to anecdotal situations which seem to occur with frequency. One situation many people have heard of is when a women “accidentally” get pregnant when drinking. It seems that alcohol not only removes inhibitions, but also reduces stress levels (at most temporarily). The second seems to happen when a couple “gives up” on trying natural conception and adopts a child. When the pressure of having a child is removed, within a short period of time that adopted child will have a brother or sister. While I don’t have any hard facts about these situations, I can say that I’ve heard these stories from many parents.

The next factor affecting fertility is of course gynecological problems. Many women come in to my office because of dysmenorrhia/ amenorrhia, which are irregular periods or not having periods at all. In oriental medicine we would say that there are two main reasons for this. The first would be “blood deficiency.” This would be indicated by patients who are generally weak, small framed, pale, have spotting or very short periods and may tire easily. If we were to perform a western blood test more than likely results would come back normal, but the signs and symptoms would be an indicator for acupuncture.
Patients may also have these conditions due to “blood stasis.” Signs that oriental medical practitioners would look for is pain in lower abdomen, dark circles under the eyes, and menstruation with heavy clotting or dark blood.
Some patients may exhibit signs of both “blood stasis” and ” blood deficiency,” even so, acupuncture and oriental medicine can be of great help. Normally I tell patients to expect to come in for weekly treatments for three months. This allows the body to build and move blood properly and within that time frame most woman have regular cycles. Once the regular cycle returns, conception occurs much more easily.
Other conditions that inhibit conception are conditions like uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and endometriosis. These conditions are improved greatly with acupuncture and oriental medicine. On several occasions I’ve had patients who were coming in for these conditions for a month or so only to tell me they hadn’t gotten their period. Sometimes, they assume they condition is coming back, but within a few weeks a simple test reveals that they are indeed pregnant.

I would suggest that all women who feel that they are having difficulty conceiving take three steps:
1) Relax, getting stressed out will not help.
2) Consult with your gynecologist, in most cases there is nothing “physically” wrong, or at least nothing that your body can’t work around.
3) Consult an acupuncturist. Infertility is such a big issue and many acupuncturists are very experienced dealing with it. Even if you end up needing IFV starting acupuncture can greatly improve your results.

Continue reading »]]> My little clinic in Baltimore is growing and growing… along with the bellies of many of my patients.

Acupuncture is amazing for a great variety of problems, but the one that always seems to impress me is it’s great success rate with infertility. Over the years I’ve treated many women with various issues leading to infertility. In my last blog entry, “I’m in the Business of turning babies,” I briefly mentioned how stress reduction and increased circulation greatly improve success at conception both naturally and with artificial insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Studies have shown that women undergoing in vitro fertilization and receive acupuncture nearly double the success rate of women undergoing IVF alone. With that said, we can also help increase the chances of women getting pregnant without going through IUI and IVF.

As I stated before the reduction in stress is probably the biggest factor in dealing with conception. Stress can greatly influence a woman’s menstrual cycle to the point of throwing off ovulation or even stopping menses completely. With acupuncture your body enters it’s parasympathetic mode, which is similar to a deep sleep or meditative state. During this time your body lets go of stress, hormone levels can normalize, and circulation to the uterus can improve. All big bonuses for the trying parent. If you don’t think stress is a big factor, I’d like to share to anecdotal situations which seem to occur with frequency. One situation many people have heard of is when a women “accidentally” get pregnant when drinking. It seems that alcohol not only removes inhibitions, but also reduces stress levels (at most temporarily). The second seems to happen when a couple “gives up” on trying natural conception and adopts a child. When the pressure of having a child is removed, within a short period of time that adopted child will have a brother or sister. While I don’t have any hard facts about these situations, I can say that I’ve heard these stories from many parents.

The next factor affecting fertility is of course gynecological problems. Many women come in to my office because of dysmenorrhia/ amenorrhia, which are irregular periods or not having periods at all. In oriental medicine we would say that there are two main reasons for this. The first would be “blood deficiency.” This would be indicated by patients who are generally weak, small framed, pale, have spotting or very short periods and may tire easily. If we were to perform a western blood test more than likely results would come back normal, but the signs and symptoms would be an indicator for acupuncture.
Patients may also have these conditions due to “blood stasis.” Signs that oriental medical practitioners would look for is pain in lower abdomen, dark circles under the eyes, and menstruation with heavy clotting or dark blood.
Some patients may exhibit signs of both “blood stasis” and ” blood deficiency,” even so, acupuncture and oriental medicine can be of great help. Normally I tell patients to expect to come in for weekly treatments for three months. This allows the body to build and move blood properly and within that time frame most woman have regular cycles. Once the regular cycle returns, conception occurs much more easily.
Other conditions that inhibit conception are conditions like uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and endometriosis. These conditions are improved greatly with acupuncture and oriental medicine. On several occasions I’ve had patients who were coming in for these conditions for a month or so only to tell me they hadn’t gotten their period. Sometimes, they assume they condition is coming back, but within a few weeks a simple test reveals that they are indeed pregnant.

I would suggest that all women who feel that they are having difficulty conceiving take three steps:
1) Relax, getting stressed out will not help.
2) Consult with your gynecologist, in most cases there is nothing “physically” wrong, or at least nothing that your body can’t work around.
3) Consult an acupuncturist. Infertility is such a big issue and many acupuncturists are very experienced dealing with it. Even if you end up needing IFV starting acupuncture can greatly improve your results.

Continue reading »]]> Since my wife and I made it public that we were expecting our first child this December, it seems like I’m seeing pregnant women everywhere. Especially in my clinic! For nearly a decade I’ve been helping couples with fertility issues conceive naturally as well as help improve rates for IUI and IVF protocols. These conditions respond amazingly to acupuncture because of main effects of acupuncture. The first being acupuncture’s ability to relax a person both physically and mentally. Back in 1978 Harvard did a study on stress management and infertility and found that when women who were labeled “infertile” found outlets like meditation yoga and stretching, 57% of them were able to conceive naturally. Acupuncture can perform the same stress relieving function as it helps the body shift from a Sympathetic Nervous System response ( Fight or Flight) to a Parasympathetic Nervous System Response ( Rest and Digest). For more information on acupuncture and mental health, please see here.

The second function of acupuncture that greatly enhances fertility is increased circulation. A common diagnosis for women in Oriental Medicine is “blood deficiency.” This does not mean that you are “a quart low” but more so that the energetic qualities of the blood are not circulating well enough and nourishing the tissues they come in contact with. Acupuncture helps build “better quality” blood and helps it circulate to the ovaries and uterus. This helps nourish the tissues and regulate hormone levels allow for easier conception. All of this is pretty amazing, and the reward is to see a child after the treatment process, but the real reason I’m writing today is to tell about a very simple and effective treatment which seems bizarre even by acupuncture standards.
That is helping invert a fetus in the breech position!
Odd, but true, this treatment is very old and very successful. Books going back nearly 1000 years state that a point on the little toe can be stimulated to change the position of a baby in the womb. We use moxibustion at this point and another on the leg and most patients report that the baby moves with some vigor anywhere from immediately after the treatment to several hours later. This can usually be accomplished in one treatment, but I have had some stubborn babies that have needed up to five.

Things that will improve the effect of this baby turning acupuncture treatment:
I have had good success with the treatment but here are some things to consider when you want to get this treatment.

• Ideally we would like to do this treatment around week 35 of your pregnancy. I have seen it work up to week 39, but there isn’t much room for the baby to move. For best results contact us as soon as you know the baby is breeched.
• Give the baby as much room as possible with yoga. After doing the procedure I routinely instruct women to go home and do the Cat Pose in yoga. This position allows the belly to hang and gentle pulls the spine and organs away from the baby, giving him or her more room to move. Women may do this several times and hold the position for up to 30 seconds each time. There may be increased motion from the baby which is exactly what we are looking for.
• On occasion I’ll send a patient home with a moxa pole, which is used to warm acupuncture points and channels by lighting the end and holding it close to the body. Women who can feel were the baby’s body is positioned can encourage the baby to move by holding the moxa pole above their belly by the head of their baby. This is not usually a stand alone method and has mixed results by itself.
• And as always, if first you don’t succeed, try, try again. If there is significant movement the first time, most likely the job is done. If not, I recommend treatments every other day until 3-5 treatments are done, depending on how close we are to the due date. In most cases these treatments only last 15 minutes and are relatively cheap because they are so short.

As a final note about treating breach position babies, I would strongly recommend trying moxibustion prior to the physical manipulation method as it is must gentler on both the baby and the mother.

Other things we should mention, acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can be very helpful once your new bundle is finally out. We can also be very helpful in treating many post-partum problems such as fatigue, depression, and help promote lactation. Even babies can benefit from pediatric acupuncture which is a needle-less treatment consisting of tools used to massage channels and points on your babies body. These quick treatments can really help with many conditions like colic and help you baby sleep through the night.

If you’d like to receive a information card entitled Acupuncture & Pregnancy which give you some insight on how acupuncture can help with may common problems with pregnancy, please email me.
We also have information on how acupuncture can help infertility.

Continue reading »]]> Since my wife and I made it public that we were expecting our first child this December, it seems like I’m seeing pregnant women everywhere. Especially in my clinic! For nearly a decade I’ve been helping couples with fertility issues conceive naturally as well as help improve rates for IUI and IVF protocols. These conditions respond amazingly to acupuncture because of main effects of acupuncture. The first being acupuncture’s ability to relax a person both physically and mentally. Back in 1978 Harvard did a study on stress management and infertility and found that when women who were labeled “infertile” found outlets like meditation yoga and stretching, 57% of them were able to conceive naturally. Acupuncture can perform the same stress relieving function as it helps the body shift from a Sympathetic Nervous System response ( Fight or Flight) to a Parasympathetic Nervous System Response ( Rest and Digest). For more information on acupuncture and mental health, please see here.

The second function of acupuncture that greatly enhances fertility is increased circulation. A common diagnosis for women in Oriental Medicine is “blood deficiency.” This does not mean that you are “a quart low” but more so that the energetic qualities of the blood are not circulating well enough and nourishing the tissues they come in contact with. Acupuncture helps build “better quality” blood and helps it circulate to the ovaries and uterus. This helps nourish the tissues and regulate hormone levels allow for easier conception. All of this is pretty amazing, and the reward is to see a child after the treatment process, but the real reason I’m writing today is to tell about a very simple and effective treatment which seems bizarre even by acupuncture standards.
That is helping invert a fetus in the breech position!
Odd, but true, this treatment is very old and very successful. Books going back nearly 1000 years state that a point on the little toe can be stimulated to change the position of a baby in the womb. We use moxibustion at this point and another on the leg and most patients report that the baby moves with some vigor anywhere from immediately after the treatment to several hours later. This can usually be accomplished in one treatment, but I have had some stubborn babies that have needed up to five.

Things that will improve the effect of this baby turning acupuncture treatment:
I have had good success with the treatment but here are some things to consider when you want to get this treatment.

• Ideally we would like to do this treatment around week 35 of your pregnancy. I have seen it work up to week 39, but there isn’t much room for the baby to move. For best results contact us as soon as you know the baby is breeched.
• Give the baby as much room as possible with yoga. After doing the procedure I routinely instruct women to go home and do the Cat Pose in yoga. This position allows the belly to hang and gentle pulls the spine and organs away from the baby, giving him or her more room to move. Women may do this several times and hold the position for up to 30 seconds each time. There may be increased motion from the baby which is exactly what we are looking for.
• On occasion I’ll send a patient home with a moxa pole, which is used to warm acupuncture points and channels by lighting the end and holding it close to the body. Women who can feel were the baby’s body is positioned can encourage the baby to move by holding the moxa pole above their belly by the head of their baby. This is not usually a stand alone method and has mixed results by itself.
• And as always, if first you don’t succeed, try, try again. If there is significant movement the first time, most likely the job is done. If not, I recommend treatments every other day until 3-5 treatments are done, depending on how close we are to the due date. In most cases these treatments only last 15 minutes and are relatively cheap because they are so short.

As a final note about treating breach position babies, I would strongly recommend trying moxibustion prior to the physical manipulation method as it is must gentler on both the baby and the mother.

Other things we should mention, acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can be very helpful once your new bundle is finally out. We can also be very helpful in treating many post-partum problems such as fatigue, depression, and help promote lactation. Even babies can benefit from pediatric acupuncture which is a needle-less treatment consisting of tools used to massage channels and points on your babies body. These quick treatments can really help with many conditions like colic and help you baby sleep through the night.

If you’d like to receive a information card entitled Acupuncture & Pregnancy which give you some insight on how acupuncture can help with may common problems with pregnancy, please email me.
We also have information on how acupuncture can help infertility.

Continue reading »]]> ***This was taken from the AAOM Website and is an important Bill which would help get everyone acupucture benefits*****

This Bill would make Medicare include acupuncture services and if Medicare covers these services all other insurance companies would follow suite. Please Help the link below takes less than two minutes to complete and every voice counts!!!!!

CONTACT CONGRESS NOW!!!

Send letters to your senators and representative using AAAOMs fast and easy letter-writing tool at http://www.aaaomonline.org/hr646

The AAAOM is issuing a call to action letter writing campaign in support of HR 646. We are at the forefront of a momentous change in U.S. healthcare, and acupuncture and Oriental medicine is an important part of this crucial transition. In supporting and passing HR646, we are creating a firm foundation for our profession to propel from alternative medicine to mainstream, and we need everyone’s voice to make it happen!

WHAT IS HR 646 AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

This is a decisive moment for acupuncture and Oriental medicine. HR 646, also known as “The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act of 2009,” amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of qualified acupuncturist services under part B of the Medicare Program, and to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for coverage of such services under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The passing of this bill will open acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) to many more patients who could benefit from its effectiveness. For practitioners and students, it will open the doors to new patients to serve. It will provide us all with more affordable healthcare choices and create a firm foundation for further integration into U.S. healthcare.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Write a letter to your Member of Congress. If you are a patient, practitioner, student or professional partner in the integrative health fields: Write a letter in support of HR 646! Ask each family member, friend, classmate, colleague, and, most important, each patient to write a letter to their Members of Congress.

CONTACT CONGRESS NOW!!!

To have your letter hand-delivered by AAAOM’s lobbyist in Washington, D.C., go to http://www.aaaomonline.org/hr646 ]]> http://ancientartsacupuncture.com/2009/05/31/want-your-insurance-to-cover-acupuncture/feed/ 0 http://ancientartsacupuncture.com/2009/05/30/want-your-insurance-to-cover-acupuncture-2/ http://ancientartsacupuncture.com/2009/05/30/want-your-insurance-to-cover-acupuncture-2/#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 02:09:00 +0000 acuguy http://ancientartsacupuncture.com/2009/05/want-your-insurance-to-cover-acupuncture-2/

Continue reading »]]> ***This was taken from the AAOM Website and is an important Bill which would help get everyone acupucture benefits*****

This Bill would make Medicare include acupuncture services and if Medicare covers these services all other insurance companies would follow suite. Please Help the link below takes less than two minutes to complete and every voice counts!!!!!

CONTACT CONGRESS NOW!!!

Send letters to your senators and representative using AAAOMs fast and easy letter-writing tool at http://www.aaaomonline.org/hr646

The AAAOM is issuing a call to action letter writing campaign in support of HR 646. We are at the forefront of a momentous change in U.S. healthcare, and acupuncture and Oriental medicine is an important part of this crucial transition. In supporting and passing HR646, we are creating a firm foundation for our profession to propel from alternative medicine to mainstream, and we need everyone’s voice to make it happen!

WHAT IS HR 646 AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

This is a decisive moment for acupuncture and Oriental medicine. HR 646, also known as “The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act of 2009,” amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of qualified acupuncturist services under part B of the Medicare Program, and to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for coverage of such services under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The passing of this bill will open acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) to many more patients who could benefit from its effectiveness. For practitioners and students, it will open the doors to new patients to serve. It will provide us all with more affordable healthcare choices and create a firm foundation for further integration into U.S. healthcare.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Write a letter to your Member of Congress. If you are a patient, practitioner, student or professional partner in the integrative health fields: Write a letter in support of HR 646! Ask each family member, friend, classmate, colleague, and, most important, each patient to write a letter to their Members of Congress.

CONTACT CONGRESS NOW!!!

To have your letter hand-delivered by AAAOM’s lobbyist in Washington, D.C., go to http://www.aaaomonline.org/hr646 ]]> http://ancientartsacupuncture.com/2009/05/30/want-your-insurance-to-cover-acupuncture-2/feed/ 0 http://ancientartsacupuncture.com/2009/04/24/spring-is-here-soon-and-so-are-your-allergies/ http://ancientartsacupuncture.com/2009/04/24/spring-is-here-soon-and-so-are-your-allergies/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:22:00 +0000 http://anizawordpresstest.com/2009/04/24/spring-is-here-soon-and-so-are-your-allergies/

Continue reading »]]> With the official start of Spring well behind us. I find it hard to believe that today is the first truly nice spring day we are getting in Baltimore. That being said I cannot help but think of the old children’s joke, “If April showers bring May Flowers, what do May flowers bring?” The punchline is of course … Pilgrims. Yes it’s not that funny, but neither are what May flowers actually bring for over 35 million Americans every spring; itchy eyes, runny stuffed up noses, sneezing and headaches.
Before reaching for your normal over the counter drugs and nasal sprays, might I suggest giving Oriental Medicine and some simple home treatments a try.

Acupuncture can greatly help relieve the symptoms of allergies as well as help your bodies immune system figure out how to better handle air pollutants such as pollen, animal dander, molds, mildew and the like.
Oriental Medicine has a concept of the immune system called Wei Qi (“way chee”) which is responsible for the body to have the correct response to allergens and pathogens which cause a person to become ill. When the Wei Qi is strong and working efficiently a person easily shakes off colds and can deal with pollutants in the air. When the Wei Qi is weak toxins and pathogens are considered to be invaders crossing over your bodies protective barriers and causing havoc.

From a western standpoint acupuncture has not only been shown to increase white blood cell counts (strengthening your immune system) but also help regulate your histamine response (keep in check how your body responds to allergens). Acupuncture has also been shown to decrease inflammation of the mucus membranes, the nose and airways making it easier to breathe. It can help reduce the effect of flare ups as well as act to prevent future allergy attacks.

If you or your acupuncturist feels that you need stronger treatment there are several Chinese herbal remedies which can be given all to help open the sinuses and treat hay fever, allergies as well as more severe breathing issues. All of which can be customized to meet your specific needs and health concerns.

I would also like to recommend some home therapies that are both very effective and cheap.

The first can be found your local farmers’ market. The one at the end of I-83 here in Baltimore has two apiaries that attend. Bee keepers often collect pollen from bees which can be used to inoculate yourself with. It is best to get pollen from a local source as it will be from the same plants that give you allergy symptoms. To use take 1 teaspoon daily. The theory is that by taking this pollen internally, you build up a resistance to allergens that are airborne. I’ve had some good results using this method myself. **** Please note that some people are very sensitive and may have an upset stomach or even have a severe allergic reaction.**** To combat this please try taking only a few small clusters of the pollen to test before you start to take a larger amount.

The second remedy is a Neti Pot. A Neti Pot looks like a small tea pot and is used to flush out the the nose and sinus cavities. It is commonly known as nasal irrigation. In recent years the Neti Pot has become more popular and may even be found in some grocery stores and pharmacies. There are several different recipes that can be used in the pot to help the irrigation, most of which are salt based to help dry the cavities and reduce the amount of mucous. If you have questions about recipes please contact me . The Neti Pot can be used once or twice a day and will greatly keep your breathing pathways open and sneezing to a minimum.

Please check out these at home methods to help keep your allergies in check and keep regular appointments to keep you nose open and you out enjoying the great spring weather!

Continue reading »]]> With the official start of Spring well behind us. I find it hard to believe that today is the first truly nice spring day we are getting in Baltimore. That being said I cannot help but think of the old children’s joke, “If April showers bring May Flowers, what do May flowers bring?” The punchline is of course … Pilgrims. Yes it’s not that funny, but neither are what May flowers actually bring for over 35 million Americans every spring; itchy eyes, runny stuffed up noses, sneezing and headaches.
Before reaching for your normal over the counter drugs and nasal sprays, might I suggest giving Oriental Medicine and some simple home treatments a try.

Acupuncture can greatly help relieve the symptoms of allergies as well as help your bodies immune system figure out how to better handle air pollutants such as pollen, animal dander, molds, mildew and the like.
Oriental Medicine has a concept of the immune system called Wei Qi (“way chee”) which is responsible for the body to have the correct response to allergens and pathogens which cause a person to become ill. When the Wei Qi is strong and working efficiently a person easily shakes off colds and can deal with pollutants in the air. When the Wei Qi is weak toxins and pathogens are considered to be invaders crossing over your bodies protective barriers and causing havoc.

From a western standpoint acupuncture has not only been shown to increase white blood cell counts (strengthening your immune system) but also help regulate your histamine response (keep in check how your body responds to allergens). Acupuncture has also been shown to decrease inflammation of the mucus membranes, the nose and airways making it easier to breathe. It can help reduce the effect of flare ups as well as act to prevent future allergy attacks.

If you or your acupuncturist feels that you need stronger treatment there are several Chinese herbal remedies which can be given all to help open the sinuses and treat hay fever, allergies as well as more severe breathing issues. All of which can be customized to meet your specific needs and health concerns.

I would also like to recommend some home therapies that are both very effective and cheap.

The first can be found your local farmers’ market. The one at the end of I-83 here in Baltimore has two apiaries that attend. Bee keepers often collect pollen from bees which can be used to inoculate yourself with. It is best to get pollen from a local source as it will be from the same plants that give you allergy symptoms. To use take 1 teaspoon daily. The theory is that by taking this pollen internally, you build up a resistance to allergens that are airborne. I’ve had some good results using this method myself. **** Please note that some people are very sensitive and may have an upset stomach or even have a severe allergic reaction.**** To combat this please try taking only a few small clusters of the pollen to test before you start to take a larger amount.

The second remedy is a Neti Pot. A Neti Pot looks like a small tea pot and is used to flush out the the nose and sinus cavities. It is commonly known as nasal irrigation. In recent years the Neti Pot has become more popular and may even be found in some grocery stores and pharmacies. There are several different recipes that can be used in the pot to help the irrigation, most of which are salt based to help dry the cavities and reduce the amount of mucous. If you have questions about recipes please contact me . The Neti Pot can be used once or twice a day and will greatly keep your breathing pathways open and sneezing to a minimum.

Please check out these at home methods to help keep your allergies in check and keep regular appointments to keep you nose open and you out enjoying the great spring weather!