New Year, New Website

I just finished the new website!  Here it is!

I will still be maintaining this blog for health related information, articles, research, etc. For information regarding scheduling, therapies offered, new patient forms, etc., please visit the new website. 

Thanks!

Updates

Dear patients,

I have moved my practice to my home office located in central north Durham.  Regular hours will be Monday through Friday, off hours available case-by-case.  Slide scale is $35-65 for regular treatments, $55-95 for longer combo sessions, and I now (thanks to modern technological advancements) accept major credit cards. 

This year has been full of changes and challenges for me, my practice, and my family.  I know a lot of you are feeling the changes and challenges as well.  So, come see my new place and relax amongst the trees. 

Peace and gratitude,
Drea

Vaccines - Benefit vs Risk

Lots of parents ask me about my thoughts on vaccines. It's not an easy decision for any parent to make. But vaccines are losing their stronghold in the medical literature as studies show that the promise of "immunity" from vaccines isn't exactly what we've been sold. The most important thing is to be well informed before making any decision regarding the injection of a foreign substance into your own or your child's body.

This is a great article on some of the more recent research that's out there.

http://thepeopleschemist.com/vaccine-safety-survival-guide-protect-your-family-now/

Compassion - It's harder than you think...

Greetings!

Recently, in my own meditation and yoga practice, I have been working on creating peace, harmony, and happiness in my life by practicing more compassion.  At first I began thinking of those around me who are experiencing hardships, distress, or suffering in some way and felt compassion for them.  Easy enough, I thought. 

The second step in my compassion practice was to show compassion for myself. 
Have you ever had a day when you felt tired, maybe a little sick, maybe a little sad, felt a tightness or pain in your body, but you said to yourself:

"Suck it up!  There's work to be done, a family to care for, a job to be at, things around the house that need this or that.  I can't afford to have a low day.  I can't afford to take a rest.  I just don't have the time to deal with this right now."

This happens to a lot of us.  We feel we need to be strong for those around us, that we need to just put our own needs on the back burner and take care of whatever it is that we feel is more important than our own suffering.  In these moments, we fail to practice compassion towards ourselves.  Often times, this begins a snow-ball effect that only leads to more discomfort, more distress, and more suffering. 

So for this month, I would like you all to show yourselves a little more patience, a little more love, and a lot more compassion.  If we do not take care of ourselves, we cannot effectively take care of anything or anyone else.  You can begin your compassion practice by smiling inward and making a commitment to overcome physical and emotional obstacles that may be preventing you from experiencing compassion toward yourself and others. 

Massage feels awesome... and is awesome for you!

Whether you're getting a relaxing Swedish massage or trying to heal an injury with problem-focused bodywork, massage helps to heal muscle tissue. 

Researchers have recently found that "massage reduced the production of compounds called cytokines, which play a critical role in inflammation. Massage also stimulated mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside cells that convert glucose into the energy essential for cell function and repair."

Read more here.


Asian bodywork therapy is generally problem-focused and is best suited for acute and chronic injuries that result in significant pain.  Got pain?  Schedule an appointment for some bodywork - moderate cytokines, stimulate your mitochondria, and feel awesome all at the same time!

Migraine relief with acupuncture

I have several patients who come for acupuncture to manage migraines.  They are completely wiped out by a migraine and it can take days for them to fully recover.  They can occur without warning, progress rapidly, and involve photophobia (light sensitivity), nausea, and vomiting.  No fun at all.

The best approach to treating migraines with acupuncture is through regular weekly treatments.  If there is a cycle to the migraines (i.e. only with menstruation), then treatments are timed in accordance with the cycle.  Stress and certain foods are the most common triggers. 

You can learn more about acupuncture and migraines here.

You don't have to fret when "Aunt Flow" comes to town

Unfortunately, in this country, not much useful information is provided to women regarding normal menstruation.  Most women of child-bearing age are unsure of what a normal period should feel like, look like, or for how long it should last.  In fact, most women I've treated believe that pain is a normal part of menstruation.  I'm here to tell you that it is not.  Normal periods should be painless, moderate in flow, come in regular and predictable intervals of 27-35 days, and last for 3-7 days. 

If you experience menstrual cramps, fret not, my fellow females!  A recent review of research conducted in S. Korea reports that acupuncture is beneficial in reducing menstrual cramps, reports BBC News.  In my experience (both as a patient and as a practitioner), I know that Oriental medicine can work wonders when "Aunt Flow" decides to show up in a grumpy mood.

Please, don't suffer through another month cursing your female anatomy.  Being a woman is beautiful and amazing.  Make an appointment today to begin to experience pain-free periods for yourself.  

Acupuncture - What the heck do I need that for?

Although most people have heard of acupuncture, relatively few people know what acupuncture can treat.  The World Health Organization issued a list of diseases, symptoms, and conditions for which acupuncture has been proven effective through controlled clinical trials.  The list is quite extensive and these are only the conditions that have undergone clinical trials.  Practitioners vary in skill, knowledge, and specialty, so it's important to keep in mind that the WHO list may be incomplete. 

The best way to determine what acupuncture can do for you is to make an appointment with a trained professional and try it for yourself. 

Connecting the Dots

Many people ask me how acupuncture works and how are meridians and points determined on the human body.  Until relatively recently, the answers to these questions were purely speculative and the fall-back answer has been "It's ancient... the ancients figured it out."

This study, conducted in Vermont and published in The Anatomical Record in 2002, used ultrasound technology to illustrate the relationship of acupuncture points to interstitial connective tissue.  Because connective tissue is found throughout the entire body, it helps explain how acupuncture points can have a systemic effect.  How the energetic connection is made and how the energy flows is yet to be proven by modern science but, with the advancement of quantum physics, it may not be too much longer until we have a more definitive answer to "How does acupuncture work?"