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Self-care practices are essential for the well-being of health care providers. Healers are tasked with maintaining balance within their own bodies as well as for their patients. As acupuncturists, our primary goal is to optimize qi flow during acupuncture treatments, creating harmony within the body, mind and spirit. This is…

Practicing acupuncture during the pandemic has presented many challenges. Many clinicians were unable to see patients in person for several months. We had to get creative and inventive. The gift of a crisis is the innovation that can come from it.

Now is the time for collaboration. Now is the time for building unity. Now is the time for coming together. Now is the time for a collection of strength as one. And perhaps most importantly, now is the time to look beyond the walls of your practice at the big…

This month, let’s discuss an acupuncture point combination I use extensively in the clinic for patients suffering from gastrointestinal challenges. Often referred to as the “digestive diamond,” this effective combination consists of the following: ST 25 (bilaterally) + Ren 9 + Ren 6.

There is a Japanese saying that the “face is a mirror of the heart”: we believe our face is a reflection of our heart and spirit. This case report is about a male patient whose chief complaint was his stress and frustration from the COVID-19 pandemic and remote work in…

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a remarkably common functional gastrointestinal disorder, creating significant stress and discomfort for a startlingly large percentage of the population. It affects 10-22 percent of the general population, with worrisome symptoms including pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, disruptive patterns of defecation, and general intestinal unease.

In recent years, participation in acupuncture social media groups online has steadily been growing. Being able to access the “hive mind,” or ask questions of the acupuncture community on many topics, has been a boon for all – but especially for practitioners who might otherwise feel isolated in solo practice,…

Depression is associated with cardiovascular disease via both lifestyle and physiological mechanisms. Depression makes one more likely to eat poorly, stop exercising, suffer sleep irregularities, etc.; and has been shown to elevate heart rate and blood pressure, reduce blood flow to the heart, and increase cortisol production.

Legislation that would recognize acupuncturists as health care providers within Medicare, “[amending] title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for acupuncturist services under the Medicare program,” is finally a reality. H.R. 4803, the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act of 2021, was introduced into the U.S. House of…

Lasers have evolved over time to include many more options such as specialized handpieces, power levels (peak and average) and wavelengths. Visible colors like red, green, violet and blue are utilized, along with near-infrared wavelengths.

Over the past few years, the attitude toward CBD has changed significantly. There has been a societal acceptance of the many health benefits from the use of CBD; and as a result, stores have rushed to line their shelves with CBD products. While there are still hundreds of lingering questions…

Investment banking is a fast-paced, high-pressured world, and it’s where I started my professional career. I traveled all over the country working with mergers and acquisitions and direct investment programs. In the investment arena, statistics are the lifeblood of analysis and knowing whether you are working a good deal or…

It is a term that gets thrown around a lot: SEO or search-engine optimization; but what does it really mean and why is it so important to your practice? SEO is the process of making specific changes to both the design and content of your website, or optimizing it, so…

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the United States, and the majority of cancer patients experience cancer-related fatigue and pain as common symptoms due to the cancer itself, cancer treatment or both. Fatigue in cancer is well-described as feeling tired, worn out, and having no energy or…

The following is part 2 of an interview by Marilyn Allen, AT editor at large, with Dr. Gene Bruno, who introduced animal acupuncture into the United States in 1972. Part 1 appeared in the July issue.

When a point name has the body part in its name, we must consider what that part does. The shoulder blade is the scapula – the large, triangular-shaped bone in the upper back. Attached to it are muscles and ligaments that help the arms to move. Scapular disorders can diminish…

One of the most important concepts in TCM is the influence of the seasons and climate on the health of the patient. Classical texts such as the Shang Han Lun and the Jin Gui Yao Lue discuss in detail the influence of cold and heat on the human body and…

This is an issue that is happening with some carriers (although not all) and began in later 2019 when UnitedHealthCare (Optum and UHC affiliates) required that a particular modifier be appended to all physical medicine services. This modifier was also made a requirement for Veterans Administration (VA) and Medicare claims.

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions characterized by progressive optic nerve damage caused by an increase in intraocular pressure. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the U.S. and worldwide. Approximately 3 million Americans and 64 million people worldwide have glaucoma, but only half are aware…

The National Institutes of Health estimates that 20 million Americans suffer from some form of peripheral neuropathy (PN), with diabetes being the most common cause. Other etiologies include physical injury, systemic autoimmune diseases, vascular and blood issues, exposure to heavy metals, Lyme disease, hormonal imbalances, infections, chemotherapy, HIV, kidney and…