1 cup coconut water, plain filtered water or green tea
1 tsp green tea leaves (if not using tea for your liquid)
1 tsp maca powder (found on Amazon or health food stores)
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 frozen banana
1 scoop protein powder (hemp or pea)
1 Tbl seed oil (hemp, chia, udo or flax)
Many people suffer from frequent headaches. There are many types of headaches. For treatment to be beneficial it is necessary to differentiate the causative factors. Acupuncture is a safe, drug-free alternative headache treatment without side effects.
Busy lifestyles and work schedules can create high levels of stress. When the body is in a constant or frequent state of stress, blood and qi stagnates in the body. Often, this manifests as a headache. It is important to incorporate stress-reducing activities in your daily life to keep the blood and qi moving smoothly throughout the body. Acupuncture has been shown to greatly reduce stress and promote relaxation. For more on the science behind acupuncture and stress relief, check out this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/16/acupuncture-could-help-prevent-stress_n_2883996.html
Also, poor ergonomically designed work spaces can create tension in the upper back and neck which can lead to headache. Acupuncture can help headaches caused by postural issues by needling, cupping, or using gua sha to release the affected muscles. However, it is important to note that it will often come back if the posture isn’t corrected.
The cause of migraines can be varied and complex. Therefore, the diagnosis and protocol decided upon by your practitioner can be quite varied as well. It is important for the patient to notice patterns and signs associated with their migraines as acupuncture can be a very effective preemptive tool to prevent the full onset from occurring. At the first sign, call and get an acupuncture appointment as soon as possible.
In treating other types of headaches, it is quite common for needles to be placed on the head and neck. For migraines, the protocol can be quite different. As acupuncture needles promote qi and blood circulation into whatever area of the body they are placed, with migraines we want to draw the energy out of the head and down into the body and lower limbs. If the migraine is especially severe, the patient may not be able to tolerate needles on the head as well.
Varying symptoms guide us to the pattern with which the patient is presenting. Chinese Medicine is very centered around the idea of opposites (i.e. yin/yang, hot/cold etc.) so symptoms such as fever vs. chills (or both alternating) or dry vs. productive cough help to point the practitioner in the right direction. Once the correct diagnosis is made, herbs and points can help address the symptoms and many others including headache.
The location of the pain on the head indicates which channels are affected. Needling specific points along these channels can greatly and in many times instantly alter, decrease, or eliminate the headache.
Some women experience headaches before, during, and/or after menstruation. The timing of a headache in relationship to a woman’s cycle can indicate different pathology patterns. The location of the headache also gives us as practitioners a lot of insight about the channels that are affected. For more in depth information on the varying types of menstrual headaches and useful herbal combinations, go here: http://www.acupuncture.com/Conditions/menseheadache.htm
If you have any of the following types of headaches you should seek urgent medical care.
As always, with our medicine, prevention is a key component. The more in-balance your body is, the less likely you are to suffer from pain of any kind.
Our body has a built in detoxification system that allows us to get rid of unwanted particles that build up from our own natural processes – examples include using our muscles, hormones and other naturally occurring duties that our body performs. The goal of a detox is to reduce the amount of toxins we put into our body and thus optimize our bodies own detoxification system.
Doing a detox periodically or setting habits that help you eliminate waste on a daily basis has been found to be essential and only becomes more critical as we have more and more toxins that bombard our bodies in our modern lifestyles. There are also periods of time in our lives where a detox is needed to clear out hormonal changes (menopause, postpartum, puberty) Here is a small list of common items that can cause an increase in toxins within our body that are part of our everyday lives:
And the list goes on.
These detox’s can be made more efficient by adding herbs and other vitamins and minerals. Please contact our office so that one of our doctor’s can help you choose a cleanse that is right for you.
Without knowing each and every one of my patients’ cases, the answer is generally 1-2 times per year, but this number can go up drastically if you have hormone imbalances, illness and disease currently attacking your body. This is something to talk to your doctor about. There are daily detox practices that we do recommend and they are listed below:
Here is a small list of some conditions that are not recommended to detox:
Whatever detox method you use, always use common sense and if you need help, our office can help you select a detox that is right for you.
Before I was pregnant, I had volunteered at an event called Jenny’s Light and it is NOT named after me. It is a foundation created to bring awareness to postpartum depression something that affects 1 in 7 women and can range from very mild to very severe. In the case of Jenny, she took her own life and her family created a foundation to help prevent that from happening to anyone else’s family.
It’s important to recognize the signs in our friends and loved ones. It affects so many women. When a couple is in my office, I always make sure the significant other is aware of the signs. Often the new mom will not see the signs and know that it’s happening. See below for a basic list of the most common signs of postpartum depression:
There are many resources to help with identifying postpartum depression:
One of my favorite quizzes that is one that the new mom can take or a partner can take for her is here: http://www.postpartumhealthalliance.org/screening-test
Help Resource guide: http://www.supportingmamas.org
Treatment options:
Supporting the cause: http://jennyslight.org
This is a great cause that you can join and either donate, race or volunteer. Our office has a booth every year trying to help create awareness about this issue that can affect many women. Come and join us each May for the 5K race at Vasona Park in Los Gatos to help prevent future postpartum tragedies.