Pain management

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Tips for Working from Home

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Tips for Working from Home

This past year I have seen many cases of back and neck pain that arose as more people started working from home. Have you been slumped over on your couch with your computer on the coffee table? Working from the kitchen table on a hard wooden chair for 10 hours at a time? Or did you just drag your laptop into bed and rest your neck up on a stack of pillows? We’re all doing what we can to adapt! However, below I’ve listed some important reminders and tips that may make your work from home routine a little less painful.

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The Benefits of Cupping Therapy

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The Benefits of Cupping Therapy

Cupping therapy releases the muscles, moves lymph fluids, increases blood flow, and initiates a healing response. When there has been injury to the muscle or when a muscle becomes chronically tight from overuse, underuse, or incorrect posture, blood and lymphatic fluid does not move freely through the area. Over time this creates stagnation of these substances within the muscles and tissues. Simply put, stagnation leads to pain.

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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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Reflexology At Home

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In our feet, there are thousands of nerve endings and almost seventy acupuncture points that correspond to different systems, organs, and parts of the body. By stimulating these nerve endings we are able to “talk” to the whole body. This stimulation “wakes up” or brings energy to those places that need it, or “calms down” or re-regulates energy to those places that have more than is needed. Reflexology should not be used to diagnose or treat illness, however it is a wonderful compliment and support to most medicines and their treatments (western, eastern, energy, spiritual, etc.). This is particularly true as the gentlest forms of this practice almost always help a person to move into the parasympathetic nervous system. This system inhibits the body from over working and restores the body to calm and rest.

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Happy to meet you, happy to be here!

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Happy to meet you, happy to be here!

As a recent addition to the Vitalize team, I wanted to take a moment to say a warm hello and introduce myself to the community that I am so happy to be a part of. 

I come to Vitalize from my own practice, Eng Acupuncture Center, in Silverton, OR, where I have practiced since 2014. While I continue

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Small Exercises You Can Do While Sitting At Work

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Small Exercises You Can Do While Sitting At Work

Many of us have to work a 9-5 job where finding time to exercise is nearly impossible. With the weather changing to wet and rainy, the sun only making a few appearances and the days getting shorter and shorter, our mental and physical self take a hit. However, these changes are usually when our body and mind usually need exercise the most.

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What is CranioSacral Therapy?

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What is CranioSacral Therapy?

   CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle touch, not using more then five grams of pressure about the weight of a nickel. This very light touch is what sets it apart from regular massage or bodywork. Our bodies are interconnected and when one part is not functioning or moving correctly, it starts to influence the rest of our functions leading to pain and discomfort.   CST can help upwind and release the bodies discomfort allowing space for the body to heal.  Our bodies are self healing mechanisms.  The job of your craniosacral therapist is to allow the space for your body to unwind and self-heal. 

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Massage Downtown Portland

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Massage Downtown Portland

We are excited to share that we have recently expanded our massage offerings.  We have two therapists at Vitalize and have appointments available on both Saturdays and Sundays.  Massage options include; deep tissue, therapeutic, cranial sacral, pin and stretch, lymphatic drainage, cupping, and scraping are all available.  

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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. 

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Vitalize Community Events

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Vitalize Community Events

In an effort to create a sense of community in what is often a very singular society, we have created a space, opened that space to creatives and thinkers alike, so that they can share their talents and gifts.  With a pole of our general patient base, we determined that weekends are most requested, we have set a calendar of monthly events open for any and all interested.  Our events center around health and healing, with a focus on the mind body connection.  We have purposefully chosen our events to hold space for a diverse area of topics.  These events are free and we hope that members of our community will bring their friends and loved ones to join in.

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Trigger Point Acupuncture

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Trigger Point Acupuncture

Trigger Point Acupuncture, also known as Dry Needling, is a very effect approach to the treatment of pain and injury.  At Vitalize we have found that trigger point acupuncture can be our most effective tool for the treatment muscle tension, muscle strain, chronic pain, injury, and much more.  Trigger point is a Chinese medicine technique with a western medicine spin.