Search Acupuncture Today

Once upon a time, there lived a doctor of Oriental medicine (DOM). He was lean and clean (4% body fat), fit (a fitness trainer) and healthy (a health coach). Long ago, he’d stopped worrying, hurrying and overeating, and consequently hadn’t gotten sick for such a long time. He thought himself…

As our health care ecosystem continues to evolve, I’ve found an increased emphasis being placed on an integrative approach to patient care. As an acupuncturist, you are an essential part of this collaborative system and health care team, cooperating with a range of other professionals including medical doctors, chiropractors, massage…

The governor vessel is likened to a huge reservoir or sea of energy, and strongly affects all 12 meridians. Points on this vessel may be conjoined with treatment of any element or meridian.

According to the Small Business Administration, approximately 33% of small businesses fail in the first two years and 50% fail within five years, primarily due to inadequate planning. This includes lack of funding or working capital, poor management, ineffective business planning, and marketing oversights. As a small-business owner of over…

The Senate and House versions of SB 230 essentially would have banned anyone but medical doctors and osteopathic physicians from using the word physician in their advertisements and daily interactions with patients. Exceptions were made for chiropractic physicians, dentists and podiatrists.

Dustin

Prior to COVID, I never spent much time thinking about the nature of viral infections. What first struck me was the very early finding in 2020 that obese people did much worse with COVID than appropriate-weight individuals – this was in the news, so everyone knew about it. I found…

Low back pain is defined as pain the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), and it can be acute or chronic, localized or radiating. It is a common ailment for adults in the United States, with a lifetime prevalence as high as 65-80%. Whether or not an MRI is available to…

There’s no doubt that many of your patients visit your practice because they are in pain. And there’s certainly no doubt that curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa) can be incredibly effective in stopping that pain, whether due to chronic conditions like arthritis or acute pain from intensive workouts. But your…

While jobs for acupuncturists seem to be more in demand, the grand majority of practitioners are still small-business owners, and it can be easy to get a tunnel-vision focus on our clinic. It’s not always top of mind to see what is going on in our industry; and even if…

The theory of the five phases, which first appears in ayurveda, is that one can attain an understanding and poetic experience of the processes of nature. Tibetan and Japanese concepts are similar to ayurveda, but Chinese medicine uses different terms for space (wood) and air (metal). The five phases precisely…

Mark comes to see you for his first acupuncture treatment. He aggravated his lower back two days ago after lifting his toolbox out the back of his truck. During the initial interview, you discover that Mark has two kids. His two children, 5 and 8 years old, are always bringing…

The exosystem comprises the linkage and processes taking place in two or more settings. The exosystem in this section represents state health policy and varied acupuncture regulations. Part 4 of this article examines how current health policy and acupuncture regulations create challenges for acupuncture’s advancement in mainstream medicine.

Do you ever wince at some of those bland intake forms (paper or tablet) you have to complete at various medical, therapy or dental offices? How about those martian-like figures where you have to shade in areas of pain for a physical therapist to try to figure out your problems?…

The #1 target area in the hips is the gluteal complex. I include the gluteus maximus, medius, minimus, piriformis, and tensor fasciae latae. These are all the deep rotators of the hip. When needling these muscles, you will help improve mobility and help initiate activation for the purpose of restoring…

The vagus nerve is a crucial, bidirectional neural pathway between the body and brain that relays an array of sensory information from visceral tissues to the brain, also called afferent pathways; as well as from the brain to the viscera, or efferent pathways. These information pathways are integral for the…

When reflecting on the question of if I could treat “long COVID,” my initial thoughts were that absolutely, because in Chinese medicine we treat “long everything.” Many assumed I was being glib; I was not. I often have to remind practitioners of the rich history of nuanced diagnostics found in…

Nicole

The acupuncture profession is hoping to capitalize on the Google doodle’s prominent web positioning and astronomical reach to raise awareness of the power of acupuncture. An acupuncture-themed Google doodle on World Acupuncture Awareness Day (Nov. 16, 2023) would be an unprecedented step in promoting this year’s message, “Acupuncture Changes Lives.”

Due to the unique relationship between our facial skin and facial muscles, healthy movement of facial fascia is imperative to the nervous, muscular and circulatory functions of our face. Chinese medicine is uniquely suited to treat the fascial layers of the face to improve both appearance and function.