Break Away from Chronic Pain

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health

Jessica Tatieze, LAc

Anyone who is in, or who has ever been in, chronic pain knows it’s no laughing matter. In fact, most of us don’t really prefer to be in any kind of pain at all! As an acupuncturist, I never have a work day that I don’t have a patient sitting in front of me with some kind of pain. I can tell you first hand from talking with these people that pain is annoying and it’s not fair when it keeps people from doing the things they love. Interestingly, no matter what type of pain patients have, the complaint I hear from every patient with chronic pain is “it wears on me mentally.” This isn’t surprising and in school this was emphasized to us as something to expect from patients dealing with pain. So while I’m not surprised to hear it, it never gets easier to see it. To be in constant pain is exhausting and can be depressing to people. Plus, adding to that is the fact that they are usually pretty frustrated from trying many other modalities of treatment with no relief. I am always so excited for these patients that they have chosen to get acupuncture treatments because I know it works and I see people get relief of chronic pain every day, not to mention to boost it gives people’s mood.

A new study about the treatment of chronic pain with acupuncture has been all the buzz in the media and online lately. This study showed that patients got relief from acupuncture, and it also succeeded in showing that patients receiving ‘real’ acupuncture got better results than those receiving ‘sham’ acupuncture. This is important because acupuncture is most affective when treatment is given by a person trained and licensed in Oriental Medicine.

Check out the study here: http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1357513

The one thing I do find unfortunate is that most patients with chronic pain wait to try acupuncture until they have tried EVERYTHING else! Often these patients tell me they are out of options in the world of Western medicine. Many of them have already tried the medication options with either no relief or nasty side effects, some have already had surgeries that didn’t help, and others have been told after multiple tests that they simply don’t know what is wrong. Can I guarantee a patient that they will get relief of pain with acupuncture? No. But based on the number of patients that do get relief from acupuncture every day I would say they have a great chance, and quite possibly a better success rate than most of the other modalities they have tried. While a patient with chronic pain may need more treatments than a patient with an acute injury, there is relief to be had! If you or someone you know are suffering with chronic pain, check out the new study and try acupuncture treatments sooner rather than waiting for it to be a last resort!

Are You Ready to Fight?

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health

Jessica Tatieze, LAc

Fight Cold and Flu Season Before it even Begins!

Jessica Tatieze, Licensed Acupuncturist at 2bwell Clinic

September 2012 2bwell Newsletter

It is hard to accept that summer is ending, but kids are going back to school which means fall is just around the corner. While many of us do look forward to the crisp air, delicious warm drinks, and the changing of the leaves, it is also the time of year when many find themselves curled up in bed with cold or flu symptoms. Many patients and friends say they dread the fall because they always get sick around the same time every year. They are often surprised to learn that acupuncture and herbal medicine can help prevent these ailments.

What is it about this time of year that makes these viruses so prevalent? In Chinese Medicine, many cold and flu symptoms are related to environmental factors such as wind and cold. Research in Western medicine has also showed that the cold temperatures may play a role in the spread of these illnesses. As the cooler weather forces us to stay indoors more this gives viruses the chance to easily transfer from person to person.

While Chinese Medicine can’t keep you from being exposed to viruses, what it can do is help strengthen your body and immune system in order to effectively defend you from respiratory virus infections. By treating each person’s individual constitutional imbalances, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine strives to put the person in their healthiest state. This alone puts the person’s body in a good position to fight off viruses they encounter. Beyond that, there are also specific acupuncture points and herbal formulas that can benefit those who are prone to certain symptoms or illnesses.

With preventative acupuncture and herbal treatments, some patients make it through the cold and flu season without catching any viruses, while others notice they get sick less often, are able to recover from the illnesses more quickly, or have less severe symptoms. These results can be very significant to patients, translating into less missed work and more holiday fun! One patient, who was prone to frequent colds in the past, wrote this after using acupuncture to help her endure last year’s cold and flu season sickness free:

 

“I've been a preschool and kindergarten teacher for 6 years. I love my job, but the downside is that I'm constantly exposed to a multitude of germs. Each year I catch 2 to 3 colds and 1 or 2 other bugs. Last year, I started monthly acupuncture treatments, and I haven't been sick once, not even a cold! Acupuncture has totally strengthened my immune system.”

Other ways you can keep your body strong and prevent illness this fall are: wash your hands frequently, get plenty of sleep and exercise, keep stress levels low, and eat healthy foods including plenty of vegetables. As with anything, it’s always important to listen to your own body. If you start to feel symptoms coming on or feel run down, take the time to relax and get plenty of rest before it turns into a full out illness. From a Chinese Medicine prospective it is also important to protect yourself from the wind and cold with hats, scarves, and warm clothing, and by limiting time spent directly in these elements.

So while the cooler weather is inevitable and fall will come whether we are ready for it or not, we can start preparing now to make it the happiest and healthiest season yet!

 

Don’t miss out on other great articles from 2bwell practitioners. Sign up for the 2bwell Clinic monthly newsletter by e-mailing office@2bwell.net.

Thursday Q&A: Side Effects of Acupuncture

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health

Jessica Tatieze, LAc

 Acupuncture is known for getting patients great results with very few side effects, but that’s not true because there are side effects. However, unlike the end of a TV commercial for any pill, the majority of the side effects of acupuncture are GOOD! I wish everyone in the world knew all the great ‘side effects’ of acupuncture treatments! Many patients come in for one specific thing and then find out that since Chinese Medicine is a holistic approach they see other positive changes in their health and life. The Thursday Q&A from a few weeks ago talked about this same idea, and it also reminded me of this Huffington Post article I saw online about the five most common side effects of acupuncture:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-calabro/acupuncture-effects_b_1778901.html. Check it out and see if you are in need of any of the side effects of acupuncture.
 

Thursday Q&A:
Q: How can acupuncture help me in my daily life?
A: Good question! There are many ways acupuncture can help that a lot of people don’t realize. Besides patients’ specific complaints, a few of the most common improvements patients see in their lives are: less stress and feeling more relaxed, better sleep, more energy, less foggy-headedness, smoother digestion, better circulation, less food cravings, and strengthened immune system.


Have something you've been wondering about acupuncture or Chinese Medicine? E-mail questions to jessica@jessicatatieze.com and each Thursday a new question will be posted with the answer.

Health on the Job

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health

Jessica Tatieze, LAc

When it comes to health, my sister Marcy and I tend to know more than our husbands. After all, we work in a wellness clinic while neither of them work in the health field. We’re always bossing them around about what they should or shouldn’t do when it comes to all things health. So you can imagine our surprise when one of them mentioned their stretch routine at work, and the other said they actually lead stretches for their coworkers every morning! Who would have thought, a great idea that we actually did not give them! J I often recommend this to patients with pain, but it is even better if you can use stretching throughout the work day to prevent injuries and pain before they happen.

Here are just a few benefits of stretching:

Reduce muscle tension
Improve circulation
Reduce anxiety, stress, and fatigue
Improve mental alertness

Decrease risk of injury

There are many ways you can get moving and prevent injuries in the workplace, and your needs may vary depending on the type of job you have. Check out a few basic stretches for the workplace here:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/339931-basic-exercises-stretches-for-the-workplace/

 

Stretching is something so simple, but just taking a small amount of time to do it can make a huge difference to your workday and your health. Try it for yourself and I bet besides preventing pain and injury, you will find you are much more efficient and focused in your work.

Thursday Q&A: Ahhh Needles!

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health
Jessica Tatieze, LAc

I don’t know a lot of people who love needles, in fact I don’t even like most needles! But when it comes to acupuncture needles, most don’t realize just how tiny the needles are. People are often reluctant to try acupuncture simply because of their dread of needles, but in most cases the fear itself is actually worse than the actual needles. Last Thursday’s Q&A was a question I hear often and I think if more people knew just how unintimidating acupuncture needles are, they may be more apt to try it.

Check out last Thursday’s Q&A:
Q: How big are the acupuncture needles?
A: The needles are much smaller than most people realize. They are about as thin as one human hair and I hear that up to about 7 acupuncture needles can fit inside one ordinary 14 gauge hypodermic needle. The length can vary based on which area of the body is being worked on and depending on the practitioner’s style, but I rarely use needles longer than one inch and each needle is inserted about ¼-¾ of the way in. Most patients are pleasantly surprised at how tiny the needles are and they can hardly feel them. They are tiny compared to the needles we see used on us to draw blood or give shots.

Have something you've been wondering about acupuncture or Chinese Medicine? E-mail questions to jessica@jessicatatieze.com and each Thursday a new question will be posted with the answer.

Don’t let fear keep you from trying something that could change your life for the better!

 
“I'm afraid of needles, except acupuncture needles.” Catherine O'Hara

Journey to Meditation

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health

Jessica Tatieze, LAc

Awwww, meditation. Those who do it love it; those who don’t do it think it’s some weird woowoo stuff. But as a gal who used to fear it due to a lack of understanding it, I can tell you first hand that you can learn to love it and it can be a vital part of your daily life. When I began as a student at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM), I noticed I had to take a class called Qigong. I thought this will be fun, I’m awesome at learning new things so I’m sure I’ll be great at it. J Then I looked up what it was and I realized it’s a form of meditation which means I would be expected to ‘still my mind.’ Now this was scary stuff because being the type of person who was constantly thinking, the idea of actually trying to stop thinking sounded ridiculous. Fortunately, what I learned in that first Qigong class from Roger Lore was that there are many different forms of meditation, including practices with movement, visualization, and auditory guidance.

The most ironic part of my fear of meditation was that I found out that I had actually used meditation quite a bit in the past. When I started middle school sports, my mom taught me something she had used as a gymnast – visualization. Every night as I fell asleep and before every game I would relax, focus, and visualize every skill and play I needed to know and do. I once told a group of younger athletes that I would have felt completely unfocused and scared to step onto the court for any sport without doing my visualization, and I believe that my athletic efforts would have turned out differently without that routine. While this wasn't exactly a practice of 'stilling my mind,' it was a good start.

Realizing that I actually had experience in meditation may have given me confidence, but it didn’t change the fact that I had a mind that liked to go go go with so many ideas! I found that I did better with guided meditation, so that was a great bridge as I headed toward other forms. My second year at OCOM my Qigong class was led by world renowned Qigong master, Master Liu He. While she completely amazed me and I enjoyed my time in class, I still wasn’t in love with meditation and it was hard to turn my brain off knowing that the next class I went to that day expected me to have a zillion things memorized for a test! But I kept going to class, kept learning One Thousand Hands Buddha, and gradually my mind became more and more still.

I also found it amazing that the relaxation my body could feel through meditation was unlike anything else, as if what I thought was relaxed before actually wasn’t! This relaxation and mind stillness that I started to love, this was mediation! I was doing it, and it was really AWESOME! It turns out, I get much better and clearer ideas in this stillness than when my brain is spinning so fast with thoughts…who would’ve thought?! Now days I often recommend meditation to patients, and I try not to giggle when a majority of them say, “Oh I tried it and I can’t do it, my mind races too fast.” I tell them to keep at it because over time even the most zooming of minds can learn to be still—I know from experience!

Please, if you haven’t tried some form of meditation, do! I promise you will learn to love it too, and it can do amazing things for your health and your life! Need help getting started, just e-mail me and I can point you in the right direction! http://www.jessicatatieze.com/Contact-Us.html

 

 

“Meditation is painful in the beginning but it bestows immortal Bliss and supreme joy in the end.” Swami Sivananda

Thursday Q&A: Sweet Tooth

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health

Jessica Tatieze, LAc

Yum, I’m sitting here dreaming of brownies, cupcakes, cookies….wait how could that be when this is supposed to be a blog about health?! Being prone to a sweet tooth myself, I could definitely appreciate today’s question that came in for the Thursday Q&A. I come from a long line of sugar lovers, and have learned from a young age that the only way to avoid it is to not have it in the house at all. If I have a yummy sweet treat in my cupboard, I HAVE to eat it until it’s gone! Not having many sweets in the house works because very rarely (unless very hormone driven) will I actually make a special trip to get a sweet treat. I would never deprive myself of sweets completely, but keeping healthy snacks front and center and the sweets limited helps! I never thought much more about having a sweet tooth until I studied Chinese Medicine, and was amazed that my addiction to sweets was attached to other complaints I had and all tied together in the Earth element.

Check out today’s Q&A:

Q: I eat fairly healthy, but my main issue is that I have such a sweet tooth that I can’t stick to my healthy eating diet. Is there something you [Chinese Medicine] can do for that?

A: In Chinese Medicine the Spleen energy is in control of the sweet tooth. The relationship between the ‘Five Elements’ in Chinese Medicine is one way we can look at the craving of sweets relating to the Spleen. The Earth element is related to the Spleen and Stomach, and the ‘taste’ of this element is sweet. The Earth-type person (or a person who is out of balance with a Spleen energy deficiency) may notice that besides craving sweets they also tend to worry, have digestive upset or gas and bloating, loose stools, are easily overwhelmed, carry extra water weight or ‘dampness’, and their body has a heaviness feeling with low energy or fatigue. If you have noticed it even more lately, it’s no surprise! The season of the Earth element is “Indian Summer,” which is right now! This season is in late August when the days are hotter and damper with humidity.

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Here is more about the Earth element from http://www.acupuncture-online.com/tradition3.htm:

Earth 

Meridians: Stomach/Spleen

Someone with well developed Earth energy is a well grounded, nurturing, compassionate person, sometimes depicted as the archtypical “earth mother”.  Earth people like to bring others together and make good mediators or peacemakers and reliable friends. They often enjoy both preparing food and eating. You may be attracted by their generous mouth and full, sensuous lips. 

Earth Imbalance

When people have weak Earth Qi, they can be worriers and meddlers. They are prone to pensiveness. They may overwork, especially in studying or other intellectual work. They are vulnerable to digestive problems and diarrhea. They may gain weight easily and lose it with difficulty. Their bodies have a tendency to make excessive mucus, and they may suffer from cloudy thinking, muzzy-headedness, and a lack of clarity.

Those with weak Earth Qi often feel better when they limit cold, raw foods and dairy products. They should eat warming foods and grains to stay well grounded. They may crave sweets. The sweet taste can be satisfied by eating sweet grains, vegetables, and fruits rather than processed sugars.

Common illnesses include: fatigue, diarrhea, gas & bloating, food allergies & sensitivities, eating disorders, heartburn, and canker sores.  Excessive mucus may collect in the lungs or in the sinuses. In women, menstrual problems may include either excessively light or heavy periods.

The Qi of the earth element flourishes in Indian Summer, those golden moments of fullness before the waning of the light. The earth color is yellow, like the sun, and the ripened crops, and the root vegetables. Sitting meditation is said to strengthen the earth element. 

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I love the reminder that nature’s candy (AKA fruit) can be just as sweet and satisfying! And of course, as with anything, it’s always about balance and moderation! I leave you with this, “Chocolate is like medicine – but as with medicine, the key is the proper dose. Don’t overdo it.”

Introducing...Drum Roll Please...My Brand New Blog!

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health

Jessica Tatieze, LAc

Welcome to my brand spanking new blog! I’m going to be sharing with you anything and everything you want to know about acupuncture! Not into acupuncture? Well I will force you to like it! Just kidding! But there will be something for everyone, including health, lifestyle, inspirational stories, beauty, and everyone’s favorite- Q&A! Have a question for me, or a certain topic you’re interested in? Just e-mail me at jessica@jessicatatieze.com

Picking one topic for the very first blog post is a lot of pressure! It has to be great right?! With so many great topics I can’t wait to tell you about, I just can’t pick one that’s better than the rest. So instead, I’ll give you the inside scoop on me. How about a little 20 questions? Enjoy!

1.) Do you always smile for pictures? Yes I do! I would be a horrible model because I can’t do any good ‘serious’ faces.

2.) What is your favorite food? Pizza! And ice cream is right up there too! (In moderation of course!)

3.) What movies could you watch over and over and still love? Old School, Wedding Crashers, The Hangover

4.) Were you a boy/girl scout? No, but I was a Campfire Kid, so very similar! I still have my vest with all my patches on it. J

5.) Ever gotten a speeding ticket? No…knock on wood!

6.) Ever ran out of gas? Only once…about a block away from the gas station on my way to high school prom. I wasn’t driving, and it should have been a hint that the driver wasn’t great boyfriend material! ;)

7.) How many languages can you speak? Only English. I wish I knew more! I took Spanish in high school and my husband’s first language is French…but I can’t speak either of those, can only understand a little!

8.) Do you sing in the car? Of course! Are there people who don’t?

9.) Do you think musicals are cheesy? Absolutely not! I love them, and have a huge cheesy smile through the whole show.

10.) Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? A teacher and then later I wanted to be an orthodontist.

11.) Ever won a spelling bee? Absolutely not! I’m not good at spelling- luckily spell check was invented!

12.) Ever won a contest? Once I won an art contest for a billboard that was put up in my hometown. I’m not good at art, but the prize was a large gift certificate to the local milkshake place so I was extra motivated!

13.) Most hated chore on the household chore list? All of them!

14.) What is the funniest prank played on you or played by you? With the help of my volleyball teammates, we prank called someone from a team we played and interviewed her for what we said was an article for the local paper. We even asked for her opinion of our team. It was very entertaining!

15.) Do you believe everything happens for a reason? YES!

16.) If you could start your own restaurant, what would it be? All deserts, mostly chocolate! Yum!

17.) What do you think the secret to a good life is? Believe you can accomplish anything, but appreciate where you are at and what you have right now!

18.) Do you still watch cartoons? Yes, I have a 17 month old so we watch some Sesame Street and Sid the Science Kid.

19.) What do you drink with dinner? Water or milk

20.) What is the most important thing to you? My family!