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Check out [6:43] & [19:36] for acupuncture anaesthesia during open heart surgery – the recovery time for the patient allowed them to be walking around within 2 days! and the cost was a third of conventional surgery.

Of particular interest is the clinical trial towards the end of the video, using an MRI scan to map brain activity during an acupuncture point insertion and stimulation – the findings were fascinating to both neurologists and acupuncturists.

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Not confined to elite performers, many of us at some point have suffered a sports related injury (even watching sports from the couch can have its own hazards!). These injuries can occur from sudden impact, force or even develop over time through a breakdown in posture or technique and include any of the following: tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, knee and ankle sprains, hip pointer, shin splints, skater’s wrist, frozen shoulder and back spasms.

When injuries keep somebody laid up and off their feet, they can lose fitness stamina and muscle mass which can be detrimental to athletes, professional and otherwise – making rehabilitation more difficult. Therefore, the goal in treating these injuries is to allow the body to heal quickly before this happens.

How does acupuncture heal sports injuries?

Acupuncture needles stimulate the body’s circulation and triggers an immune response, causing the removal of toxins and stagnated cells surrounding the trauma. If the area is quickly cycling out damaged tissue and providing fresh, healthy cells to the injury, it will heal faster and swelling and inflammation will diminish – therefore reducing pain.

When patients experience repetitive injuries, the result can also cause an increased level of stress, having a ripple effect that can disrupt sleep patterns, digestion, hormone balance and other systems within the body. The psychological and emotional benefits of acupuncture enhance the healing process providing the body and mind, deep relaxation, relieving mental stress and allowing the body to heal while in a meditative state.

So, if you feel the need to go for gold this summer and injury occurs, remember the healing power of Chinese Medicine can quickly get you back on track.

I also encourage you to enjoy a similar post written by my mentor and colleague Dr. Melissa Carr of Connect Health titled Olympics and acupuncture, Detox without pills, and more

Thanks for reading and wishing you the best of health.

The post How Does Acupuncture Heal Sports Injuries? appeared first on Steveston Acupuncture.

For this week’s “What, you can treat that?“, I’d like to uncover the cause and treatment of allergies using Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Whether it is hay fever, food sensitivities or environmental triggers, acupuncture has a dramatic effect relieving those who suffer from allergic reactions like itchiness, congestion, diarrhea or swelling.

To begin, most allergy sufferers seek immediate relief using an over-the-counter anti-histamine, or histamine ‘blocker’ to treat their symptoms but taking them does not stop the core reaction, it just reduces the body’s response until the medication wears off, giving the taker a few drowsy hours of relief. To me, this just isn’t good enough and as a Chinese Medicine practitioner, our philosophy is to learn about the whole picture – your diet, lifestyle, state of mind and emotional factors to address the underlying cause so you don’t have to live a life with ineffective, band-aid solutions.

When new clients come to me experiencing allergic reactions, I typically hear

“I never used to be sensitive to pollen (strawberries, wheat, shellfish …)”

or that their symptoms have either escalated over time or hit them suddenly. In my experience, these types of responses can stem from additives in the foods we eat, detergents we use, environmental changes and the type of lifestyle we live, causing our bodies chemistry to shift off balance, over time, forcing some organs to work overtime and others to slow down. When this happens, the immune system reacts and expresses this imbalance as an allergic reaction by way of the stuffy nose, itchy watery eyes, swollen tongue and uncomfortable digestive issues.

After discussing your suspected allergic trigger, the reaction and a detailed diagnostic survey (including analysis of tongue and pulse), I use acupuncture and Chinese Medicine techniques to strengthen the immune system while boosting the function of internal organs such as the lungs, kidneys and liver to flush the body of built up toxins and resolve any imbalances.

The result? My clients experience fewer and milder reactions over time, allowing them to live life eating the foods they love and breathing easy when the flowers bloom.

Thanks for reading and wishing you the best of health.

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For years, I’d heard unbelievable stories of my wife’s Great Uncle Jack before I finally met him a few years back at his beloved wife, Nora’s funeral. Not always the best place to begin a relationship, but I remembered watching the strength of him and his family as they struggled to cope with such a huge loss. On subsequent meetings, I got to experience the legendary powerhouse that was Jack – greeting all he met with a hearty smile, devilish laugh and a handshake that would crush a cinder block. He’d give you a look and a wink that let you know not to fuck with him, no matter how old he was. He was a force to be reckoned and an epic story teller of how he came to Canada from Ireland over fifty years ago with his wife and young children – subsequently inspiring dozens of friends and family (one being my wife’s Nana) to join him in a new life on the other side of the world. You couldn’t help but be glued to his every word and he knew it.

Last year, Jack suffered a debilitating stroke, paralysing his left side. But that didn’t stop him. He was a workhorse in rehab, just like everything he attempted, pushing himself to the point of exhaustion. I was asked by the family to begin assisting with his recovery using acupuncture to regain function and feeling in his affected limbs. Days prior to commencing treatment, his medical team made the decision to inject Botox into his shoulder to ‘help’ reduce his pain. They sadly missed the intended mark, ultimately CAUSING agonizing nerve pain that would last three long months until the injection wore off.

So, we began working together to bring circulation back to his leg and arm and now to reduce his new onset pain. And even though his condition had stripped him of weight and mobility – relying on the help of others to do the daily routines we all take for granted – he was a fighter, unwilling to let any of it get the better of him.

During our sessions, I heard the exploits of his youth, how he helped in the construction of the Massey Tunnel and the time he fell off a roof and broke nearly every bone in his body. I loved seeing the fire in his eyes when he talked about what he was going to do when he was walking again, and how hard he lived his life, never apologising for his mistakes, just making sure he never repeated them. His passion for life was palpable, simply saying to me “I’m not done.” He was every bit the legend I had heard about so many years ago. He wanted more, even in the state he was in. He was incredible.

Sadly, his love of life and tenacious spirit wasn’t enough to keep his body going and he went into kidney failure, leaving this world and a huge void in his family’s life on June 5^th, 2012, aged 84. Many gathered at his service and reviewed how Jack tore through life and loved every minute. We should all be so lucky to see and experience a life well lived and loved. He was an inspiration in every way and I am honoured to have helped him find peace in his final days.

Thank you Jack. For sharing your big life with me and our family.

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A  fear of needles usually stems from a traumatizing experience in the nurses office from childhood and I am happy to help clarify how acupuncture needles are (and feel) vastly different.

Acupuncture needles are thin, solid and made to be flexible (about the diameter of a human hair). The tip is ‘cone shaped’ and designed to slide between muscle fibres and not damage the flesh on entry or withdrawal.

Standard hypodermic  needles, typically used in shots or drawing blood, are much thicker, rigid and hollow with a blade in the tip designed to cut through the skin and blood vessel to deliver vaccines, medicine or take blood .

As for how it feels? Well, everyone describes it a little differently but mostly, first-timers are surprised because they barely notice the needles going in. There are areas in the body where patients feel it more and have described it as a zing, dull ache or like a mosquito bite at the most.

As for how it feels once the needles are in? I can safely say that the majority of clients describe the process as one of the most relaxed states they have ever been in, some even fall asleep. When the needles make contact with the intended points and begin doing their magic, I’ve heard people describe the sensation as poetically as “twangy”, a pulsing, throbbing, tingling or numbness. I tell them, as long as it’s anything BUT pain, that this is a great sign that the body is reacting appropriately and the treatment is working effectively.

I applaud those I meet who confront their fear of ‘needles’ and enjoy watching them leave my office feeling empowered AND pain free – able to put any apprehension behind them and ready to tackle the next challenge knowing what they are capable of when they open themselves up to new experiences.

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Last year I met a man in his early 80’s experiencing chronic knee pain. After a brief assessment from his physician, he was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, prescribed pain killers and sent home. Being told to ‘grin and bear it’ with pain management as a solution was not what he was looking for, so he set out to get more answers. The pain was persistent and he grew so frustrated that one night he waiting in his local ER room for several hours to get a second opinion, but was sent away with a stern warning not to waste the resources that could be spared for those who truly needed it.

One night his knee was causing so much pain that it gave out from under him causing him to fall and injure his head. As a senior who enjoyed living a fairly independent lifestyle, his fears of being sent into a care facility were growing. It was at this point he found me.

I heard his story, assessed his knee and discussed the full spectrum of factors that may impact his condition (his lifestyle, environment, nutrition and other health issues that might be related). While I was performing diagnostic massage of his lower back, I discovered a muscular nodule at the base of his spine.

After one acupuncture treatment and massage, the knot released and the nerve that fed his knee was no longer compressed. He could move without pain or a limp and I watched joyful relief wash over his face as he realized moving into a seniors home was no longer on the imminent horizon. It was a great moment for both of us.

If there is a main message I want people to take away from this story is to trust your gut instinct and if the answers you are getting don’t ‘sit right’ with you, don’t give in and don’t give up. Nobody knows your body better than you do, so rock the boat and shake the trees until you are heard, especially when it comes to your health and wellbeing.

Thanks for reading and I wish you the best of health.

The post My Weekly Win: A Success Story of Perseverance appeared first on Steveston Acupuncture.

Our pirate ship float actually won second place, based on decoration, team spirit and charm towards the judges (or it could have just been the chocolate we offered them). Regardless of prizes, it was a lot of fun handing out our chocolate gold doubloons to the happy kids along the route.

As I continue to develop relationships in my small and historic town, it makes me feel good to be able to walk through my neighbourhood and know so many people in the community. Even on such a dark and wintry July day, it was warming to see so many smiling faces along the parade and enjoying the spirit of the holiday!

I’ve included a few pictures below of some highlights of the day – Thanks to the Richmond Fire Department for running my son through his paces in the kids rescue simulation course. He had a blast, and the “baby” he saved is grateful.

I wish thee a hearty ARRRR, and a rip snortin’ Canada Day all you land lubbers!

Great Uncle Moe leading the pipers

Our happy 9-week-old patriot

Oh Nana…

All aboard!

Ahoy its me first mate

Saving babies, any which way you can

Everyone has a dream

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The simplicity – write a blog post per day in July.

31 days, 31 posts.

The complexity – me finding the time, the material, and the cojones to stick with it and finish what I start.

So my challenge to you – push me, prod me, poke me back. Comments and ideas that inspire and stretch the imagination are always appreciated. This is a project that will change the way I view writing, and hopefully develop a bunch of new skills and readers along the way.

So join me Sunday for the first of the barrage, and share the love.

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