Yoga has become mainstream in the US. Yesterday as I drove down a main street in Asheville, NC, I passed a pedestrian walking along with a big smile on her face, and a yoga mat on her back. I love living in Asheville :)
Summer is upon us. Amongst the joys of the season are the all the fresh fruits and vegetables awaiting at farmer's markets, and for many ice cream, smoothies and iced tea and soft drinks. Although all of these cooling foods are tempting, Chinese dietary therapy says "Resist!"
I wonder how many people consider Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a treatment option for hypertension? Studies demonstrate efficacy, which I can confirm from my experience in clinical practice.
I must admit, Health & Wellness Channel Leader Kimberly Rotter's recent and post and poll on health insurance got my attention. I was a captivated MSNBC viewer during the year of the health care legislation debate. Like many others, I have plenty to say on this subject, and have blogged about it on my blog Cultivating Health With Chinese Medicine.
My colleague, Jennifer Dubowsky posted a well written piece on acupuncture for stress relief entitled, "Tax Day Causes Stress, Acupuncture Can Help." Stress relief is a side effect of acupuncture. I want to share some studies showing acupuncture's effectiveness in relieving stress and anxiety.
Can Chinese medicine treat erectile dysfunction (ED)? The short answer is yes. Erectile dysfunction (ED), low libido and infertility are all treatable conditions with Chinese medicine. But don't look for a little blue pill here.
Many mothers fall into the trap of breastfeeding on demand. Whenever the baby or toddler whines, cries or fuses s/he gets rewarded with food. Many times young mothers have sat in my office and began breastfeeding a fussy child during a consultation. This is when I go into my diatribe about why Chinese medicine emphatically says "Do Not Feed On Demand!"
It no longer happens this overtly in the U.S., but manufacturers around the world are unkind to the environment every day in ways that will affect us for years to come. Take a look at this shocking image of a denim manufacturer's blue dye flowing downstream in Xintang, China.
According to the Census Bureau, the number of centenarians has increased 2.5 times since 1996. As Americans are living longer, we still ask, What is the secret to longevity?
An interesting study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008 showing that arthroscopic surgery has no better results for osteoarthritis of the knee than physical therapy or drugs. Meaning a million folks a year are getting knee surgeries needlessly at $7000 a pop.
In our Prozac society, many people hold onto a false expectation of being able to medicate oneself (either self- or prescription) into a constant state of Hallmark happiness. And a general lack of acceptance that ups and downs are a normal part of life.
This post is in response to Acupuncture from a Laywoman's Perspective, by Debbie Anderson, posted on April 16, 2011. Debbie: I found your telling of your experience with acupuncture interesting.
The NY Times recently reported that soldiers are being treated with deadly drug cocktails for PTSD, pain and other disorders. Accidental deaths have been reported due to the interaction of the drugs in these cocktails.