by urban-acupuncture | Mar 22, 2015 | Acupuncture
A famous acupuncturist said: When you are young, you can cheat your body; when you are old, your body cheats you. We’ve all heard truisms along this vein which reflect the wisdom of a life lived. But, self-care can be a means to living longer and living better, because what’s the point of living long if you can’t be living well at the same time?
My Mom, like Ben Franklin, I believe, encouraged moderation in all things. And, I think that this is a useful way to look at the big picture. Your life, and, therefore, your body and mind, and even your Qi is an accumulated collective of everything that you have experienced and been exposed to. Your lifestyle habits – diet, exercise, sleep, stress relief, hobbies, medications, relationships, expression of emotions, the ability to create, your connection to the natural world – all have profound and direct effects on your experience as a human being in this material world as well as a spiritual entity in this universe.
Focus on your daily routine, the things you eat every day, the type of exercise you do, how engaged you are in your life and your job and in this very moment as a way to change and influence the course of your trajectory. You have the control unless you choose to give it away.
This is what the ’Acupuncture Lifestyle’ encompasses. Acupuncture needles adjust the functional energy of the human body to make it work as efficiently as it was designed. What this means is that you have the ability to aid it by nourishing your Qi or hinder it by wasting your Qi or using it all up without replenishing it. You can only cheat your body for so long before it begins to cheat you. Here’s to practicing what we all try to preach to others.
For more information about how acupuncture and other treatments can help you, please contact Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist, Steve Drugan,B.S., L.Ac., at 614.218.6287 or click here. Taking new patients in and around Columbus, Ohio.
by urban-acupuncture | Mar 10, 2015 | Acupuncture, Light Therapy
As we settle into these shorter, colder days, and longer, darker nights, some of us may be experiencing more fatigue, decreased appetite, food cravings, insomnia, and other depression-symptoms. Some of these symptoms may be transient. Some of them may be related to the hectic holiday season. But for some people, these symptoms are settling in for a while – until more sunlight returns to this hemisphere. If you belong to the latter category, you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
It is believed that people who develop SAD are more sensitive to the decreased amount of daylight exposure during the winter months (although people can have SAD throughout the year, especially those who work long hours indoors without much light exposure). The brain tries to adjust to the changes, and as a result creates a biochemical imbalance that brings about changes in hormone productions. For instance, the production of melatonin, a hormone that relates to sleep cycles, increases during darker days. Hence, people affected by SAD tend to want to sleep more, and feel more tired than usual during the winter months.
Light Therapy
Light therapy is the most commonly prescribed treatment for SAD. It is also highly recommended that people with SAD spend as much time as possible outdoors, and to stay active. Good food and nutrition can help keep the body in balance and healthy. In more severe cases, psychotherapy and medications may be prescribed. But in some cases, the side effects of pharmaceuticals can be more harmful than beneficial.
To help alleviate SAD symptoms, Chinese medical modalities can be effective without any negative side effects. Chinese medicine views everything in terms of Yin and Yang. Yin is dark, cold, and passive while Yang is bright, warm, and energetic. It makes sense, therefore, that people with greater Yin tendencies may suffer more from SAD than people with Yang tendencies.
Acupuncture and Moxibustion Can Increase Yang Energy
Acupuncture and moxibustion therapies can increase the yang energy within the body, and return the body to its optimal state. Acupuncture itself is known to be effective in treating the symptoms general anxiety and depression disorders because it helps release hormones that combat depression, namely, serotonin, noradrenaline and norepinephrine. These are ‘happy’ hormones that will help reduce SAD symptoms, naturally.
For more information about how acupuncture and other treatments can help you, please contact Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist, Steve Drugan,B.S., L.Ac., at 614.218.6287 or click here. Taking new patients in and around Columbus, Ohio.
by urban-acupuncture | Feb 10, 2015 | Acupuncture Columbus, Acupuncturists
Matthew will be joining UAC on Saturday afternoons in Clintonville from 1-5 pm. His first day with us is Valentine’s Day, February 14th
About Matthew:
Upon arriving at the Ohio State University in 2006, I felt completely lost amongst the thousands of potential paths open to me. Through a whirlwind of self-exploration, music, spiritual investigation and other meaningful encounters, I knew that I had found my purpose as a healer. I resonated strongly with Chinese medicine’s big picture: the mind, body, and spirit as one whole; using logic, creativity, observation, intuition, and heart to bring balance. I want to live in a world where Eastern and Western medicine have put their guards down and become good friends, with the shared goal of benefitting humanity. Eastern medicine excels at promoting wellness and balance, while Western medicine is unrivaled in disaster management; with their forces combined we could have our cake and eat it too. Outside of acupuncture, I regularly practice a Chinese martial art called Baguazhang, which is the foundation of my internal cultivation. I nourish myself with good food, company, and art forms of many kinds. I have a great passion for music, the greatest healer of all. Nature has always been a source of comfort to me, when I feel like something’s missing I can usually take a step out into nature and feel at home again.
by urban-acupuncture | Feb 10, 2015 | Community
Free Acupuncture Treatments for Soldiers*!
We have been approved as vendors for the VA and we are now officially taking patients!
Please pass this on and share if you or someone you know has served and would benefit from acupuncture. There has been a big incentive to find other means to help our veterans deal with pain, chemical addictions, stress, and PTSD. We are honored to be able to help them for all they have done.
*If you are interested in receiving acupuncture at our office, please ask your primary physician to submit a referral for treatments to the VA Dept. for authorization. If approved, the VA will notify our office and we will contact you to set up your appointments. The number of covered visits is determined by the VA.
by urban-acupuncture | Feb 10, 2015 | What we sell at our clinic..
Doterra® Essential Oils:
The doTERRA® collection of single essential oils represents the finest aromatic extracts available in the world today. Each oil provides the living essence of its source, gently distilled from plants that are nurtured and carefully harvested throughout the world. Each oil is subjected to strict standards of purity and potency as well as a battery of thorough testing. A beautiful palate of botanical energies, they can be used individually or blended for personalized essential oil therapies.
Boline Apothecary Spring Detox:
After a winter of abuse, show your liver some love! This detox is taken twice daily until the bottle is gone. Detoxifying your liver helps your body deal with seasonal changes and allergies that rear their heads this time of year!
Boline Apothecary Lip Balm:
These lip balms are wildly popular! One test and people are sold. You should find out why! All flavors of lip balms come in .15 ounce tubes. Really emollient and available in a variety of scents. We also have a Cold Sore formula that kills the herpes virus!
Boline Apothecary is an old time local Columbus, Ohio apothecary, offering & making locavore body care that is organic, ethical, pronounceable, and effective.
