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5 Tips for a Health Cold and Flu Season

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:04:41 +0100

Ah, yes, it's that time of year again. Everyone around you is getting colds, some have already had a flu, and you want to do everything you can to avoid being ill. While some viruses will be unavoidable and you probably will have at least one cold before the season is out, following these simple steps may help keep you healthier this winter:

Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands! Cliché but true, washing your hands is the single best way to stop the spread of germs. Scrub your hands with soap under hot running water for at least 10 seconds (about the time it takes to sing Yankee Doodle Dandy) and take advantage of any hand sanitizer available in public places, preferably after you've touched the door knob and before you touch your face, mouth or nose.
Get moderate exercise. Moderate exercise (not too little - like walking from the fridge to the couch, or too much - like training for an ultra marathon) has been shown to result in a healthier immune system.
Get enough sleep. Modern humans are famous for getting too little sleep. If you tend to burn the candle at both ends, try to take extra good care of yourself while everyone else is getting sick and if you suffer from insomnia, now is a good time to get treatment or try a new remedy if what you're using isn't working. Sleep is when your body does its best healing and repair, which includes hunting down viral particles, so it is crucial to good health.
Disinfect surfaces in your home and office. Disinfect phones, door knobs, computer keyboards and any other place touched by multiple people during the day.
See your acupuncturist for a "tune-up" and a bottle of his or her favorite cold remedy. As the seasons shift, our bodies may need a little help adjusting to changes in light and temperature. Having an acupuncture treatment early in the season can tap into your body's self-regulating mechanism and help it transition from fall to winter. It's a good time to stock up on natural cold remedies too, so they are in your medicine cabinet just when you need them.

Wishing you a healthy, joyous and prosperous 2011! Click here to make an appointment online or call us at 924-6624.

A Traditional Chinese Medicine Approach to Fertility

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 23:52:00 +0100

Fertility vs. Infertility

The word infertile means unable to conceive. Unless you know for sure that you cannot ever conceive a child, we think it's important to begin focusing on your potential to conceive, rather than on the lack of potential. Western fertility clinics will tell you what percentage of their patients get pregnant and won't accept you as a patient unless they believe you can get pregnant with the help of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or other procedures. In a Chinese medicine clinic like mine, however, helping you become pregnant is not our only goal. We use acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to improve your general health and vitality so that you are more likely to conceive, carry and deliver a healthy baby, and no patient is turned away due to age or diagnosis. While no one can guarantee you a pregnancy or a baby, we can promise you a careful and honest assessment of your fertility through the lens of Chinese medicine and make recommendations for lifestyle changes, diet adjustments, acupuncture and herbal therapies that will enhance your fertility.

Treatment for Both Partners

Most of our fertility patients are women and usually they are already well aware of the reproductive issues that are blocking conception. Conception, however, requires both egg and sperm, so treating only the female half of a couple ignores an important part of the equation. In about 40% of couples with difficulty conceiving, there is a problem with the male partner's sperm. If left undiscovered and untreated, problems with sperm can delay pregnancy for several years. I routinely recommend that both partners receive a medical evaluation of their fertility andthat both receive treatment with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

Female Fertility

With women, our initial conversation revolves around the details of your menstrual cycle, gynecological health, previous pregnancies and the results of any fertility tests or treatments. If you have been using basal body temperature (BBT) charts and/or ovulation predictor kits (OPK) to pinpoint your most fertile days, I'll ask you to bring your charts to each appointment. Because BBT charts give us clues about how your reproductive organs are functioning, they can be extremely helpful in arriving at the correct Chinese diagnosis and treatment plan. We recommend weekly acupuncture sessions and daily herbal medicine* for 4 to 6 menstrual cycles, during which your cycles should become more regular and symptoms of hormonal imbalance like ovulation pain, PMS, painful or heavy periods should lessen or resolve.

If you've already decided to try intrauterine insemination (IUI) or IVF treatment, you can still benefit from acupuncture. Studies have shown that acupuncture may increase the odds of pregnancy with IVF by about 20% - 40%. Typically, it's best if we begin treatment one to two months before an IUI or IVF cycle, and continue weekly until insemination or embryo transfer. A specific treatment protocol is offered before and/or after embryo transfer (IVF only) to help relax the uterus. Following insemination or embryo transfer, we focus on calming your mind and easing anxiety while you wait to find out if you are pregnant.

Male Fertility

We recommend that men have a sperm analysis done as soon as you both suspect there is an issue with trying to conceive and/or if he is over 40. If the analysis reveals an issue with sperm count, motility (movement) or morphology (shape), then it is important for him to receive treatment too. It takes about 90 days for new sperm to generate, so the treatment received today will take at least that long to begin showing measurable results. In some cases weekly acupuncture visits and daily Chinese herbal medicine are needed, in other cases daily herbal medicine along with one acupuncture treatment right before ovulation or sperm donation (for IUI or IVF) is enough.

Vitality and a Healthy Pregnancy

Whenever reproductive dysfunction keeps you from conceiving, your body is telling you that all is not well. Even when your fertility problems are "unexplained" by conventional testing, there may be signs and symptoms that point to energetic imbalances that can be addressed with Chinese medicine. The healthier you and your partner become, the more likely you are to conceive a child. The healthier you both are at the time of conception, the better environment you provide for your growing baby.

Once a pregnancy has been confirmed, you may choose to continue treatment with acupuncture for anxiety, morning sickness, insomnia, the aches and pains that accompany any pregnancy or, toward the end of your pregnancy, as pre-birth treatment to help your body prepare for labor and delivery.

To find out more about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can enhance fertility, or to make an appointment, please call us at 603-924-6624.

Attenion all Chamber of Commerce Members - Present and Future!

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:06:40 +0100

The Integrative Health Center will be hosting a Business After Hours networkin event on Thursday, October 21st from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM in our Peterborough office, 174 Concord St., Suite 250. Please join us to sample organic cheese, wine and chocolate, sip mulled cider, hear more about what we do, win door prizes that will improve your health and connect with other local small business owners. RSVP to the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Christina Wolf, Lic Ac
Dr. Sara Featherstone, ND
Ellen Crowley, LMT
Adam Arnone, Office Manager

Acupuncture on Vacation? Tips for Continuing Treatment While You Are Away

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:04:07 +0100

So you've been having consistent acupuncture treatment and you are feeling so much better - good for you! However, your summer vacation is coming up and you are worried about missing your regular treatment(s) and inviting those troubling symptoms back into your life. What should you do?

Don't panic and don't cancel your vacation! The health benefits of vacation, both mental/emotional and physical far outweigh the ill effects of a small gap in treatment.
Ask your acupuncturist if he/she knows of another good acupuncturist close to where you will be vacationing. If not, try an online referral service like www.acufinder.com where you can look acupuncturists up by zip code, read about a practitioner's credentials and specialties, get contact information and be sure that the practitioner is legit.
No acupuncturists listed in the area where you'll be? You may still be able to find someone local who just doesn't advertise online. Be sure to ask if the practitioner is a Licensed Acupuncturist in that state or province (MDs and chiropractors who perform acupuncture typically have much less extensive acupuncture training than Lic Ac's), ask what style of acupuncture he/she practices (your own acupuncturist can tell you what style you've been receiving and you may want to stick with that if you've had good results) and ask about cost and/or insurance coverage if that's important to you. Note: Whenever you are seen by a new practitioner, that person will need to evaluate you, so it will be considered a first-time appointment - anything else could be considered malpractice!
If no acupuncture will be available or if you won't be in one place long enough to make an appointment with another acupuncturist, ask your practitioner if there are things you can do while you are away to keep from sliding back and experiencing an increase in symptoms. He or she may give you breathing or relaxation exercises, stretches, herbs, materials for performing moxibustion on yourself or may indicate points on your body where you or your travelling companion can apply acupressure on a daily or every-other-day basis.
Enjoy yourself and relax! Even if you do lose some ground in your treatment while away, you will re-gain it quickly when you return to home and regular treatments. Do make an appointment for the week you get back, so you don't lose even more time by forgetting to make an appointment in the post-vacation chaos.

Book an appointment online with Christina Wolf, Lic Ac or call 603-924-6624 for appointment availability or to ask a question about acupuncture.

Deep Tissue Massage

Tue, 18 May 2010 16:57:49 +0100

Deep Tissue Massage

Oh, that sounds painful - or oh, that sounds good. It's all in your perception right? If you don't need deep work; don't have any kinks and knots, no hitch in your gitty-up. Than this article is not for you.

Those who do feel that limited range of motion. A restriction and it feels good to rub it where it hurts. Leaning into a door jam or bureau corner. Ever tried lying on a tennis ball or baseball? This article is for you.

Deep Tissue massage is exactly that. It is a series of massage modalities intended to turn that hard knot back into healthy soft tissue. Knots are adhesions of fascia and muscle fibers which have become stuck together. When a muscle is stuck, it's contracted. When a muscle is contracted, it's firing - therefore producing waste. That knot just gets bigger and more painful because it's overloaded with lactic acid, the waste product of muscular contraction. This is the beginning of the pain - spasm - pain cycle.

Massaging it rids it of this lactic acid like a sponge getting squeezed out. First though, you can't just go and squeeze it - that would hurt. You've got to warm it up. Work the tendons (each end of the muscle) and get the circulation going, so that waste has someplace to go.

Massage Therapist's are trained in anatomy to understand the origins, insertions and actions of muscles. Asking the client where it hurts, when it hurts, what makes it feel better and the quality of the pain all help to organize a treatment plan. What we are not trained in is intuition. That gift of knowing how much pressure is enough. Every body is different, with different pain thresholds. Your therapist must be checking in with you as to the depth of pressure, and reminding you to breathe and to let go. I like to say "drop your bones". If the bodywork is causing the client pain, and there is resistance in any part of the body, it will be counterproductive. Communication is essential. Establishing trust is the Massage Therapist's job.

I hope this article has increased your understanding of Deep Tissue Masssage. If you have any comments regarding this article you can e-mail me at elliemassage@gmail.com. Or schedule an appointment at 603 924-6624x4.

In Health,
Ellen Crowley, LMT

Acupuncture Video from CBS News

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:52:18 +0100

Check out this clip from CBS News about acupuncture! Acupuncture is rarely shown realistically on television and acupuncturists are rarely interviewed about what we do every day. Feel free to post a comment here if you have questions about what you see or call me at 603-924-6624.

Enjoy!

Make an appointment online with Christina Wolf, Lic Ac or call 603-924-6624.

Acupuncture's Real Effect on the Body

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:41:23 +0100

With all the talk about Qi (Chee) and Energy, acupuncture often gets relegated to the status of New Age quackery, but science begs to differ! There is actually quite a bit of scientific evidence out there that acupuncture has a real, measurable effect on the human body, and, at 2500 years old, there's nothing "New Age" about it. Check out this article in the Wall Street Journal, "Finding the Science in Acupuncture".

To make an appointment with Christina Wolf, Lic Ac, click here to book one online or call us at 924-6624.

Acupuncture for Spring Ailments

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:16:58 +0100

Ahhh, spring. Can't you smell it in the air today? The sun is beaming, the temperature is rising, the snow is melting and it's easy to imagine crocuses and daffodils pushing their way up through the thawing soil.

Then, someone sneezes, reminding us that allergy season is just around the corner. Some are allergic to molds, which are abundant in damp, spring weather, and some are allergic to the various pollens that will begin flying through the air in just a few short weeks. Allergies are rampant here in New Hampshire, but they can be successfully treated with Chinese medicine. For best results, acupuncture for allergies should start 6 weeks before your particular allergen emerges, but it's still not too late to reap the benefits of pre-allergy-season treatments. For cases that require daily treatment, I prescribe one of two herbal remedies: Allerease, a supplement that combines herbs which regulate the immune system, dry up phlegm and open the nose, and Bi Yan Pian (Nose Inflammation Pill) which focuses on opening, drying and quelling inflammation in the sinuses.

For some, the damp, cool weather of spring increases the pain and swelling of arthritis. Acupuncture, moxibustion (the application of heat to acupuncture points by burning a mugwort stick an inch away from the skin) and Chinese herbs come together to reduce pain and improve mobility. Arthritis doesn't have to keep you from enjoying outdoor activities: hiking, gardening, etc., Chinese medicine can help!

Once you are out and about, what happens when you overdo and an injury occurs? The best time to treat a sore joint or pulled muscle is right away! Don't let those early spring injuries linger into the summer. Usually one or two acupuncture sessions will help a recent soft tissue injury heal more rapidly and prevent it from becoming a chronic pain.

Lastly, as we transition from winter to spring, your body becomes preoccupied with responding to rapid and often dramatic changes in light and temperature (and changing the clocks doesn't help!), creating the right climate for energetic imbalances to occur. Now is a great time for an acupuncture tune-up to tap into your body's self-regulating mechanism and help smooth this transition from one season to the next. Happy Spring!

To make an appointment with Christina Wolf, Lic Ac, click here to book online or call us at 924-6624.

Now Accepting MVP for Acupuncture

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:35:26 +0100

As of today, March 16, 2010 we are able to bill MVP for acupuncture treatments. Not every MVP plan covers acupuncture, so if you have MVP you might want to check your benefits before making an acupuncture appointment. We will also verify your coverage, just to make sure you don't unintentionally get stuck having to pay out-of-pocket. For more information, please call 603-924-6624, to make an appointment online, please visit our website at www.nhacupuncture.com.

Acupuncture for Snowstorm Warriors

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:34:33 +0100

Yesterday, we in the Monadnock Region of NH received over a foot of heavy, wet snow which got heavier and wetter as the snow turned to rain. Everyone was out shovelling, snowblowing, plowing or otherwise moving snow around, just to get in and out of the driveway and create walkways to wood piles, cars, etc. It had to be done! But how many of us woke up this morning with sore back, elbows or shoulders? Even after running my snowblower, a device designed to eliminate the physical work of shovelling, my back is sore for a day or two.

What happens if the pain doesn't go away within a day or two? First: don't wait! Visit your acupuncturist, your chiropractor, your massage therapist, etc., but do get some body work ASAP. The longer an injury lingers, the longer it takes to resolve with treatment. Getting treatment early will likely result in a quick turnaround, allowing you to spend less time and money in treatment and more time and money living and enjoying your life.

Acupuncture prompts a reduction of pain and inflammation in a recently-injured joint by triggering a release of endorphins (your body's pain-killing chemicals) and encouraging new blood cells to migrate to the injury, which will help repair damaged tissue and carry away old blood cells and other debris. Most of the patients I see with a recent injury feel significantly better after just one visit and find their symptoms resolve after two to three visits.

If you'd like to make an appointment with Christina Wolf, Lic Ac, click here to self-schedule online or call us at 924-6624 Tuesday through Friday to make an appointment the old-fashioned way.