- Traditional Chinese Acupuncture Clinic219 N Upper St
Lexington, KY 40507859-913-5638 
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Stress & Anxiety
Examining the Synergy of Acupuncture and Meditation
If you suffer from stress and anxiety (and really, who doesn’t?) and you are looking for better and holistic ways to cope, you might want to consider the combination of meditation and acupuncture. While there is a big difference between the two, what they bring together is a formidable duo in pursuit of complete wellbeing. continue reading
Healing Trauma with Acupuncture
Trauma can be emotional or physical and carries a weight with it for those who suffer from a traumatic event and the longer post-traumatic stress that can come from it. Fortunately, we live in a time where help is available. Since acupuncture subscribes to the whole mind/body/spirit healing approach to balancing energy and achieving complete wellness, it makes sense that acupuncture could be a helpful tool to treating various forms of trauma and its impact on both the mind and body. continue reading
Three Reasons to Add Deep Breathing to Your Daily Routine
You might think breathing is second nature, right? You’re doing it right now as you are reading this. But did you know that there are different kinds of breathing and that what is called deep breathing can have important health benefits? Read on to learn just three of the most important reasons you should add deep breathing to your daily routine. continue reading
Let’s End Mental Health Stigma!
Let’s normalize mental health!
Using numbers compiled by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), let’s borrow the idea of a village of 100 people, because it’s a lot easier to imagine 100 people than millions, in order to see just how we fit in the picture. So imagine, out the next 100 adults you encounter…
- 20 are currently diagnosed with a mental illness
- 31 have had some type of anxiety disorder in their lifetime
- 9 will have an eating disorder in their lifetime
- 8 have experienced at least 1 major depressive episode in the past year
- 4 have been diagnosed with PTSD
- 5 have ADHD
- 3 have bipolar disorder disorder
- 1 has schizophrenia
- 3 will have experienced an episode of psychosis in their lifetime
- 75 (yes, 3/4 of people) will experience an episode of depersonalization/ derealization in their lifetime
These are just the numbers for adults and actual numbers are likely higher since so many people do not seek help. That’s a lot of people who have personal experience with a mental health problem. Now think of the ripple effect of mental illness — how it impacts the lives of those with mental and emotional disorders, their family and friends, the community, everybody.
You are not alone!
Acupuncture for Liver Detox
When people consider starting a cleanse or detoxification program, their minds often turn to boxed or bottled juices and pre-packaged kits. While acupuncture is not typically associated with detoxification, it’s proven to be not only an efficient detoxification technique on its own, but can also help decrease the unpleasant side effects of clearing toxins from the blood.
The College of Oriental Medicine at Daejeon University conducted and published a study showing that acupuncture can reduce liver toxicity while protecting the liver and its functions. While this study was conducted on laboratory rats, the information collected shows great promise as to how it can be used in humans. The rats were injected with an olive oil solution into the abdomen to create an injury to the liver. They were then treated using a specific acupuncture point (Gallbladder 34). The gallbladder and liver meridians are linked through an interior-exterior relationship. Blood work was monitored throughout the study and specific liver values were shown to improve as the acupuncture treatments continued, thus helping to balance the liver and keep it functioning properly.
Here’s a link to the research article.
In TCM, the liver is considered to be an organ that is easily affected by excess stress and uncontrolled emotions. The liver is paired with the gallbladder and the two work very closely as a unit. When one is imbalanced, the other may display symptoms. For instance, if a person is constantly stressed, their liver energies may become blocked — and the gallbladder can become affected. It’s not uncommon for people in high-stress jobs to end up with gallstones. This can happen when the liver becomes imbalanced and emotions bottle up, manifesting in pain and potentially stones.
Anger is the emotion commonly associated with the liver and gallbladder. If a person is frequently irritable, gets angered easily, and has difficulty relaxing or navigating conflict, it’s safe to guess that the liver Qi isn’t functioning properly. There are many methods of balancing the liver and returning proper energy flow throughout the body. Learning to stay calm and channel one’s anger appropriately is a good place to start. Practice some deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or simply take a walk. All of these things are great for balancing stagnant liver Qi.
Acupuncture is another great way to balance liver energies. Regular acupuncture treatments help balance the body holistically and without any major detrimental side effects. During the spring, the liver is especially taxed due to the intense new energies that occur. This makes springtime a wonderful time to begin acupuncture treatments.
Don’t wait for your system to send you a Springtime alarm! Give us a call to schedule your acupuncture tune-up today, and let’s see what we can do to get your liver happy again!