Who isn't Stressed?!?

Do you know anyone who isn't stressed? Recently, I had someone come in who said that he was in the emergency room twice in the past week, diagnosed with panic attacks. When he came in to see me, he told me that he did not feel panicked or stressed. As he went on with his story, however, it seemed pretty apparent that there were multiple stress-ers in his life. He has several children to worry about, including a rebellious teenager. His job is very high powered with lots of responsibilities and people to manage. His family life is complex and involves juggling the needs and wants of many, many individuals. As he spoke of his life... he realized that perhaps he was stressed.

How do we know if we are stressed? Stress is, unfortunately, incredibly common in the lives of most Americans. A small amount of stress can be a positive driving force. However, in most of our lives it has blown out of proportion, with tight muscles being everyday occurrence and our hormones being thrown out of balance because of our anxieties. Probably the best way to tell how stressed we are is to provide a contrast. My personal favorite, easy way to de-stress is acupuncture. Acupuncture changes the hormones in our brains and literally puts us into a de-stressed frame of mind. Our brains release feel good chemicals and our bodies respond with deep relaxation. Our face muscles relax and we wake up looking younger from our acupuncture naps. All this and it's good for our health!

Stress can cause a huge variety of other medical conditions to happen. This means acupuncture can be used to help with a myriad of health disorders, all while making us feel really good. More info on acupuncture and its effects can be found at www.AcuSpaWellness.com

Tried & True Medications

My pharmacology professor made a comment once that I will never forget: "I only take drugs that are old - I never take the new drugs because we do not know what their long term effects are." Isn't this statement absolutely fascinating? It made me reflect upon my thesis paper on how culture effects medicine. Americans are raised in a culture that values "new" and "young". This way of thinking carries over into medical treatments, where new drugs are often touted as the next wonder of the world. In many cases, newer is better. But perhaps not when it comes to everything.

When working with prescription medications that have been on the market for a few decades, their effects are more thoroughly documented. Long term effects are more likely to have been spotted and built into consideration before they are prescribed. Most medication trials are not decades long, as companies work to get their products into the market as soon as possible. This means we usually don't know the long term implications of prescription medications when they are new.

Compare to this to the hundreds, if not thousands, of years of research we have on traditional Chinese medicine. Herbal medicine may seem old fashioned in comparison to some drugs on the market, but our ancestors have spent many, many years documenting their effects and side effects. Some of the effects that have been observed can be quiet surprising. The scientists of the past have been very thorough in their observations of how the human body will respond to different herbal medicines.

It therefore strikes me as quite odd when medical doctors express concern over herbal medicine. I would argue that, under the correct supervision, Chinese herbal medicine is much safer than prescription medication. This prejudice is probably due to a conservative approach to something that they have not studied and do not understand. Acupuncturists in the state of California have been taught and tested regarding Chinese herbal medicine. Finding a practicitioner that is licensed is a good first step to making sure that you are properly monitored while taking Chinese herbal medicines. More info on the applications of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can be found at www.AcuSpaWellness.com

Where do Eggs come from? Part 3

We'll start with cycle day 14. This is the textbook perfect day of ovulation. The day of ovulation that varies and determines when the period will start. So if a woman has cycles that change in number of days, it is the number of days between menstruation and ovulation that varies. The number of days between ovulation and menstruation does not usually change. The ovaries have been working, from day 1 to mature follicles into eggs. They have been stimulated by Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland in the brain.

There are usually several follicles being primed for ovulation each month. By day 14, the body has chosen one (sometimes more) dominant follicle to release. It's much bigger that the other follicles that are maturing, and the rest give up the race. The follicle is triggered to release the egg by a spike in Luteinizing Hormone (LH surge) from the pituitary gland. An ovulation test kit measures the urine for this usually high amount of LH. The follicle bursts and releases the egg, which causes some women to feel some pain or a little bit of bleeding. The egg that is released goes into the fallopian tube and journeys towards the uterus.

So how can a woman tell when she is fertile? You may know of someone who has been trying to get pregnant that takes their temperature every morning. Around ovulation time, the Basal Body Temperature (BBT) of a woman should go up as well. Cervical mucous will also change, becoming more stretchy. This is to help the sperm with their journey towards the eggs.

In most cases, the egg does not fertilize and the corpus luteum degenerates. If the egg does fertilize, the embryo secretes a hormone that keeps the corpus luteum around and secreting progesterone, which keeps the endometrium thick to support the embryo.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have been used to improve the quality of eggs (which generally goes down as a woman ages), and to create a thicker endometrium (required for implantaion of the embryo). It's also being used to address a number of other factors that may come up when dealing with fertility. Infertility treatment is a very exciting specialty in the field of Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine because there is currently a lot of research in the area, and efficacy rates are very good, especially when compared to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI). Visit www.AcuSpaWellness.com for more info on Acupuncture & IVF.

Where do Eggs come from? Part 2

Let's get started with the nitty-gritty. Day 1 of the menstrual cycle is the first day of bleeding. Healthy cycles do not start with light spotting, but with moderate bleeding. Heavier bleeding at the beginning of the cycle means that hormones are functioning correctly.

Day 1 is the beginning of the luteal phase, named after the corpus luteum. The corpus lutem is what we call the leftovers in the ovary after the egg has been released. The corpus luteum secretes progesterone, which helps to keep a fertilized egg in the uterus.

Menstrual flow is what happens when the lining of the uterus (endometrium) breaks down and is shed. The actual amount lost is typically an ounce and a quarter - slightly more than a shotglass-full. Excessive bleeding can lead to low energy and anemia, while light bleeding means the endometrium may not be thick enough to support a fertilized egg. An "ideal" period from a Chinese medicine point of view would have no PMS pain, and start with about 3 days of flow, and end with 2-3 days of spotting. It's start day would be predictable, with cycles happening each 26-30 days. Cycles should be the same number of days, and should not require regulation via birth control pills.

As an aside note, please know that most gynecological complaints are not cured by the birth control pill. Usually the birth control pills mask the symptoms of a disorder, and/or delay the symptoms from worsening. The underlying condition remains. Birth control pills are prescribed by gynecologists for a range of complaints, from fibroids and heavy bleeding to lack of periods and painful cramping. Use of traditional Chinese medicine, on the other hand, is directed at balancing the hormones and re-establishing a properly functioning reproductive system.

More information on Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine and Fertility is available at www.AcuSpaWellness.com

Where do Eggs come from? Part 1

Inspired by various images of dyed eggs, it occurs to me that most of the women that I encounter in my acupuncture clinic do not know how their physiology works.  Where do eggs come from?  How are they made?  What exactly happens every month?  Most women don't research this until they are interested in getting pregnant, or until they are having difficulty getting pregnant.  I'd like to provide a simple overview of what happens during a woman's monthly cycle, I remember when I learned this that it was really interesting to me.  

A textbook perfect normal menstrual cycle lasts 28 days.  (There is a normal variation of +/- three days on either end, but each cycle should be the same number of days.)  Day 1 is the first day of menstrual bleeding.   This blog post is about anatomy: what parts are involved, how big are these things, and where are they?  Knowing the anatomy makes understanding how things work easier.  

In a typical female reproductive system, the focus is usually on the uterus, located about three or four inches below the belly button, inside the abdomen.  It's usually around the size and shape of an average chicken egg.  It's attached to two ovaries, each about the size & shape of an almond.  An ovary is composed of many finger-like follicles, like a sea anemone.  Each ovary connects to the ovary via a fallopian tube.  Each of those are about 3-5 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter, similar but shorter than a licorice stick candy.  

I hope you forgive me for my reference points, but they are the best way to clearly picture what the anatomy looks like.   Knowing normal anatomy and physiology is a required in order to understand when something goes wrong, like infertility, ovarian cysts, or ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome.  These are all conditions that I  treat in my acupuncture clinic.  If you'd like more information about any of those conditions and acupuncture care, please visit www.AcuSpaWellness.com. 

Toxins in your Home?

In my office, my clients often ask me what kinds of things may be adding to the toxic load that their bodies are subject to. This is because, in addition to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, I also offer what is called an Ionic Detoxification Foot Spa. When people can ***see*** those toxins coming out of them, they want to know how those toxins are getting into them!

Have you heard that the air inside of the average home is more polluted than the air outside? This is usually attributed to the fact that many households use toxic chemicals for cleaning purposes. These chemicals leave residues and fumes in the air that we can absorb through our lungs and skin.

So consider this: What products are you using to clean that may be toxic? There are many natural ingredients that are better for your well being and will still maintain your home well. Mother Earth would also appreciate it if you choose products that are biodegradable. Natural cleansers are much more likely to be earth friendly than chemical cleaners. Using them also creates a healthier environment for your children and pets.

If you'd like more info about the Ionic Detoxificatoin Foot Spa, you can visit www.AcuSpaWellness.com and look under "Services", "Ionic Detoxification"

What's Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

I get many cases of patients that come in complaining of carpal tunnel syndrome. It's such a commonly used phrase that most people are aware of the term, but often do not know what it means. Here's a simplified explanation...

The carpal tunnel is part of the wrist that nerves pass through. I like to explain the carpal tunnel as similar to a rubber band that hold together a bunch of asparagus. The asparagus represents a bundle of nerves. Carpal tunnel syndrome typically happens when there is wrist overuse (usually at a computer), and the nerves in the carpal tunnel get annoyed and act up with symptoms like pain and swelling. With so many people using the computer at their job all day, the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome is definitely going up. For more details on carpal tunnel syndrome, check out http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm

I am getting more and more cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. If you are concerned about this, have the ergonomics at your workstation re-evaluated. It's very important to be taking care that the body position that you are in for most of the day is a healthy one.

For more info on acupuncture, visit www.AcuSpaWellness.com, where Dorothy Pang, licensed acupuncturist, treats carpal tunnel syndrome and other conditions.