acupuncture

Cold Truth About Ice

Someone rolls their ankle. Immediately, everyone has the same reaction; “Get some ice on it!” We, as a culture, have been icing injuries since the 1970’s, but has anyone ever stopped to ask ‘why?’ 

I did. I wrote my doctoral capstone on ice, titled ‘Ice: Misused and Over Prescribed.’ After digging into the history and evidence of icing injuries I found the following; ice is great for numbing pain, slows inflammation (which is an essential part of healing), prolongs injury and recovery, and can cause damage to tissue (though this is quite rare). This means that ice is overused and overprescribed. It should only be used to manage pain or slow biochemical decay (in instances like losing a finger with the possibility of it being reattached). Ice alone should not be used to expedite the healing process. 

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Amber's Favorite Hikes

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Amber's Favorite Hikes

Siouxon Creek, Coyote Wall, McNeil Point! Amazing hikes await you. These are a few of Amber’s favorites.

Why a pill bleed is not a period.

Why a pill bleed is not a period.

File this under things they should have taught us in Sex Ed. It took me a long time to really understand that while on birth control pills, women do not get periods. They do not ovulate, they do not make progesterone, they do not have a cycle.

Fertility Acupuncture - How does it work?

Fertility Acupuncture - How does it work?

How does acupuncture enhance fertility? I am asked this question frequently. With declining fertility rates nationally, more and more people are seeking support on the path to conception, and infertility is one of the many things we treat regularly at Vitalize. Acupuncture can help in a variety of ways. While there are specific acupuncture points that “treat infertility,” like most conditions, each individual has their own set of health needs and we seek to provide treatment plans that are best suited to each specific case. In the most general terms, acupuncture has two primary functions for fertility:

  1. Acupuncture increases blood flow to reproductive organs

  2. Acupuncture calms the nervous system - decreasing stress hormones and promoting balanced reproductive hormones

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How Do You Tell Your Story?

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How Do You Tell Your Story?

I had an important conversation with one of my acupuncture students the other day. He is a chiropractor, in practice a long time. We were discussing the emotional weight that one of his patients appeared to be carrying, and he shared

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Preparing Your Body for Allergy Season with Acupuncture and Herbs

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Preparing Your Body for Allergy Season with Acupuncture and Herbs

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can be incredibly helpful in reducing allergy symptoms. The best time to begin these treatments is at least four weeks before you typically start having symptoms in order to prime the immune system. Acupuncture for allergies focuses on strengthening and regulating the immune system making you less reactive to allergens over time.

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Heart Coherence: The Heart-Brain Connection

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Heart Coherence: The Heart-Brain Connection

What science is starting to understand is that the heart does in fact play a central role in how the human body functions, far beyond the reaches of being just a muscle in charge of pumping blood. Studies have shown that the heart actually sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart!

The Impact of Money in Research + How to Find Quality Acupuncture Research

The Impact of Money in Research + How to Find Quality Acupuncture Research

If you are interested in reading more about acupuncture research, a quick pubmed search will allow you to review abstracts, if not full-text, research studies by the thousands. The NIH has a division called the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, which has a lot of information on acupuncture and traditional Chinese Medicine research. Or bring your questions to us! Research informs our practice and we love to learn.

Chinese Medicine in Oregon - Doc Hay & Kam Wah Chung

Chinese Medicine in Oregon - Doc Hay & Kam Wah Chung

Although acupuncture is becoming more popular and accepted in our Western framework, it is and will always be rooted in Ancient Chinese theoretical and medical concepts. Our herbs, grown under specific conditions in particular climates and regions, still come from China. Acupuncture practiced apart from this history and worldview (as is sometimes advocated in Western medical fields), is not only less-effective, but also culturally insensitive.

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Hikes! Stay Healthy, Stay Sane.

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Hikes! Stay Healthy, Stay Sane.

Healthy lungs are those that experience exertion, deep breaths helping to circulate body fluids and nutrients along with the breath itself.

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Allergy Prevention and Management with Acupuncture and Herbs

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Allergy Prevention and Management with Acupuncture and Herbs

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine can help nip your current flare up of winter time allergies in the bud and strengthen your body’s immune system to reduce and prevent symptoms from occurring in the spring. Many patients find that their sinuses open within minutes of an acupuncture session!

Do you have Blood Stagnation? What to look for.

Do you have Blood Stagnation? What to look for.

According to Chinese Medicine, many chronic conditions have stagnant circulation of blood as part of their root cause. This certainly goes for pain, but also in many cases of auto-immune conditions, digestive disorders, gynecological issues, and even mental health concerns. 

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Acupuncture Explained: DU 20, Crown Of The Head

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Acupuncture Explained: DU 20, Crown Of The Head

Do you ever wonder why your acupuncturist chooses a certain point?  There is always a reason, and a unique set of points selected for you.  But DU 20, Bai Hui, is a point that almost every patient will have at one time or another.  So, here’s the scoop on DU 20. 

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Acupuncture for Migraines

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Acupuncture for Migraines

Acupuncture can help redirect blood flow to reduce these patterns of vascular instability.  Acupuncture can also help balance hormones, reduce stress and the inflammation that is an underlying cause.  Then, perhaps with the help of other interventions such as herbs, identification of triggers, and some lifestyle adjustments, migraines can be a thing of the past, or at least greatly reduced. 

Trying to Quit a Habit?

Trying to Quit a Habit?

Whether its smoking, over-eating, one too many glasses of wine at the end of your day, or just plain sweet tooth behavior, acupuncture is one of your greatest tools.  We use 5 needles in each ear to assist patients with addictive behaviors.  Often patients who have been smoking cigarettes for years and are finally ready to quit will feel immediate support with their attempts to cut back or even cut off all together.

Five acupuncture needles gently placed at both ears offers support and often leads to fewer cravings, making cutting back or quitting so much easier.  Along with acupuncture your provider might also recommend a Chinese herbal formula to assist your lungs, liver, spleen, or any other organs that might be experiencing imbalance due to the continued over use of toxins.