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