How I Work With You
The strongest healing power is already within us. It keeps us alive day after day despite cuts, infections, broken bones, rogue cancer cells, upsets, confusions, toxins and more. When we don’t heal or when we develop chronic illness, it is a sign that our natural abilities are exhausted or blocked. This natural ability to heal is the subject of Five Element acupuncture.
Natural healing uses nature. The five elements are aspects of nature that can be in balance or out. The elements correspond to the seasons. Each season has a characteristic feel or energy and a characteristic way it looks, smells, sounds, and feels. In New England, we are very different on July 4th than on January 1. How we experience nature is different, as is how we feel in our bodies and even the kinds of food we want.
The ancient Chinese mapped a system of meridians throughout the body that channels qi to every cell (qi is a Chinese word that means something like the energy or vitality of life). Each meridian connects to specific organs and tissues and each acupuncture point has a specific function on the qi of that channel. By careful diagnosis of energetic deficiencies and blocks, we can add qi where it’s needed and move qi where it’s stuck.
The goal is not to fix the disease, but to find the block in you that prevents you from healing the disease yourself. The block may be in the body, the mind or the spirit. Acupuncture works on each of these levels.
Natural healing uses nature. The five elements are aspects of nature that can be in balance or out. The elements correspond to the seasons. Each season has a characteristic feel or energy and a characteristic way it looks, smells, sounds, and feels. In New England, we are very different on July 4th than on January 1. How we experience nature is different, as is how we feel in our bodies and even the kinds of food we want.
The ancient Chinese mapped a system of meridians throughout the body that channels qi to every cell (qi is a Chinese word that means something like the energy or vitality of life). Each meridian connects to specific organs and tissues and each acupuncture point has a specific function on the qi of that channel. By careful diagnosis of energetic deficiencies and blocks, we can add qi where it’s needed and move qi where it’s stuck.
The goal is not to fix the disease, but to find the block in you that prevents you from healing the disease yourself. The block may be in the body, the mind or the spirit. Acupuncture works on each of these levels.
Acupuncture & Moxa
A typical acupuncture treatment takes about 30-45 minutes. Most of the time I insert needles and remove them immediately. Almost always the treatment requires use of points on the arms or legs.
The needles are tiny, much smaller than any hypodermic used for an injection. They are all single use disposable.
I also use moxibustion for treatment. This is an ancient technique which uses a small amount of dried leaf from a plant called artemisia to apply heat to an acupuncture point. It is useful whenever there is a lack of warmth in a person.
The needles are tiny, much smaller than any hypodermic used for an injection. They are all single use disposable.
I also use moxibustion for treatment. This is an ancient technique which uses a small amount of dried leaf from a plant called artemisia to apply heat to an acupuncture point. It is useful whenever there is a lack of warmth in a person.
Chinese Herbs
Chinese herbalism is a highly sophisticated system with thousands of years of experience handed down from teacher to student. Each herb, and there are thousands in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, has been studied for its effects on organs, tissues, disease factors, excess and deficiency.
A standard herbal prescription has several herbs in a balanced group that help a person build where there is deficiency and move where there is stagnation. While I can obtain raw herbs for cooking at home, for convenience I usually provide herbs as powders, capsules, tablets or liquid extracts. I do not provide herbs without doing an examination and traditional Chinese diagnosis.
I also can provide some Western herbs or confer with my partner, Bonnie Bloom, who is an herbalist.
A standard herbal prescription has several herbs in a balanced group that help a person build where there is deficiency and move where there is stagnation. While I can obtain raw herbs for cooking at home, for convenience I usually provide herbs as powders, capsules, tablets or liquid extracts. I do not provide herbs without doing an examination and traditional Chinese diagnosis.
I also can provide some Western herbs or confer with my partner, Bonnie Bloom, who is an herbalist.
Acupressure
I use acupressure in two situations:
- When the skeletal system (bones and joints) has a block (is stuck), acupressure is helpful in opening the joints so that the body moves more normally. In this case, I use a form of acupressure called Zero Balancing. It’s a painless, very gentle kind of work done with the person fully clothed.
- When a person just can’t face needles, I can use my hands to stimulate points and meridians. This form is usually painless but sometimes requires pressure on a point that is sore. Again, the work is done with the person fully clothed.
Guidance
There is more to true healing than being treated. You, as a patient with patience, have to participate. We will discuss how you can do this. My goal will be to help you do things that help you. Whatever that is, it has to be workable for you. I will make suggestions rather than rules.
There are two general areas: what to do and what not to do. The "what not to do" part most of us already know. Examples are eating unhealthy food, drinking too much, smoking, being sedentary, watching too much upsetting news, isolating or partying too much, working too much and so on. Sometimes we need to talk about the "don'ts" to motivate change.
With "what to do" we also usually have ideas but don't fulfill them. This can include rest, exercise, meditation, spiritual exploration, time in nature, gardening, being with people you love or like, hobbies, music, dance, art, community service. We all need to do things that feed our souls and enrich our lives. Sometimes it's as simple as changing attitudes.
As I work with patients, we can try to work with these "do's and don'ts" to facilitate change and bring more joy and contentment in life. In general, happy people tend to be healthy people.
There are two general areas: what to do and what not to do. The "what not to do" part most of us already know. Examples are eating unhealthy food, drinking too much, smoking, being sedentary, watching too much upsetting news, isolating or partying too much, working too much and so on. Sometimes we need to talk about the "don'ts" to motivate change.
With "what to do" we also usually have ideas but don't fulfill them. This can include rest, exercise, meditation, spiritual exploration, time in nature, gardening, being with people you love or like, hobbies, music, dance, art, community service. We all need to do things that feed our souls and enrich our lives. Sometimes it's as simple as changing attitudes.
As I work with patients, we can try to work with these "do's and don'ts" to facilitate change and bring more joy and contentment in life. In general, happy people tend to be healthy people.
Please call or email to make an appointment.