Health

Meet Our New Acupuncturist! Bradley Stiles

We are proud to announce Bradley Stiles, M.Ac., L.Ac. as our newest acupuncturist. Starting on July 30th, Brad will be seeing patients:

Monday … 7am – 11am

Tuesday … 7am – 12pm

Wednesday… 7am – 11am

Brad is ready to see patients with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna and Aetna plans.

Read a little more about Brad…

Bradley Stiles’ path to becoming an acupuncturist started out as a skeptical patient. He went into treatment to find help for the chronic back pain that comes from his scoliosis. Surprised by the results, Brad decided to study acupuncture. He completed his Masters degree of Acupuncture in September 2016 at the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Brad has a clinical interest in sports medicine acupuncture and creating improvements in injury recovery, pain management, and the side benefits (instead of side effects) of acupuncture creating better overall health and well-being.

Brad is Certified in Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture and received his training under Virginia Doran. Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture uses acupuncture to reduce the impression of fine lines and wrinkles. Facial Acupuncture uses needles in certain areas to reduce the effects of sagging portions of the face including the jowls, cheeks, or eyebrows.

When Brad isn’t working he enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and twin girls, traveling to new and interesting places (with plans to visit Thailand and Peru soon!), and enjoys staying active by doing weightlifting, yoga, and running. He occasionally finds time to put together a star wars Lego set for fun.

Acupuncture Happy Hour at Cloud 9! Time to Party!

Acupuncture Happy Hour!

Join us at Cloud 9 as we show our appreciation

Free Acupuncture & Free TCM Tongue Diagnosis

Lite refreshments will be served.

OPEN TO ALL PATIENTS & FRIENDS OF CLOUD 9!

Wednesday May 9, 2018 from 5-7pm

at Cloud 9 Acupuncture

With Special Guest Speaker Dr. Pamela Woodward

from First Step Chiropractic!

RSVP Today Call: 443-521-3583

Cloud 9 Acupuncture

22 W. Padonia Rd. Suite B-324

Timonium, MD 21093

How Can Cupping Help Me?

by Kelly Ferguson, L.Ac.

Cupping is one of the many tools an acupuncturist has in their arsenal. It has been used for thousands of years and by many different cultures.

How Cupping Works

An acupuncturist or trained professional will take a glass cup and momentarily place a flame within it, removing the air and creating a vacuum or suction when applied to the skin. The cups will remain on the skin for 5-10 minutes and will either remain in place or be moved around by the practitioner.

Cupping helps to resolve blood stasis, remove lymph or fluids in the tissue, and relieves muscle tension in the body. Cupping essentially increases the circulation of blood and lymph in the body. Did you know you have more lymph fluid in your body than blood? Lymphatic fluid helps remove toxins and muscular waste from your body and is excreted through your sweat, urine and bowel movements.

When you receive cupping, the lymphatic system is removing the toxins and muscular waste, while fresh oxygenated blood rushes in to the area of cupping to help heal muscle tissue much faster (especially in the case of muscle injuries).

Further, cupping is often used for Allergies, High Blood Pressure, Respiratory Conditions such as a cold or bronchitis, and Musculoskeletal conditions like back, shoulder or neck pain/tension. Last year when Michael Phelps had cupping marks at the Olympics, we received many questions about cupping.

Hopefully this article helps answer some of your questions and perhaps help you form more questions. Please contact us with your new questions and curiosity about cupping if you or your family member is ready to try this awesome modality.

Prevent Springtime Allergies with Acupuncture Today

By Kelly Ferguson

Are you an allergy sufferer? Do you dread the fall or spring due to your seasonal allergies? If you are, you are not alone. Researchers estimate that nearly 50 million people in the Unites States have allergies making allergies the 6^th leading cause of chronic illness.

An ‘allergy’ is hypersensitivity in your immune system to foreign substances. These foreign substances are known as ‘allergens’ and are recognized by your body and create a response in your immune system. Common allergens are animal dander, pollen, dust, nuts and mold. However, there are many different allergens and if you are not sure what you are allergic to it can be helpful to speak with an allergist who can test which allergens your body is having a reaction to.

In Chinese medicine there are four meridians we use to reduce/stop your allergy symptoms. These meridians are Spleen, Stomach, Lung and Large Intestine. The gut plays a large part in your immune system. Your gut or gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the main route for external stimuli entering into your body every day. It is important that we work on keeping your GI tract healthy so that it can better handle the external stimuli.

There are various points that can be used to help with allergies, and these points will be chosen based on the individual, their symptoms, pulses and their tongue. A couple common ones are Large Intestine 4 which helps the body to clear toxins and reduce inflammation, and Lung 9 which helps support the Lung meridian and build qi.

Along with using acupuncture to help stop your allergy symptoms, your acupuncturist will also talk to you about your diet and daily lifestyle. For most these are simple changes. An example of this could be: over eating sweets. Sweets are actually very damaging to your Spleen and Stomach meridians which can make your allergies worse. Likewise, getting a shower at the end of the day to remove any allergens that might be attached to your skin, hair or clothing after being outside during the day. Some other tips are getting a new pillow every few months, buying a pillow cover that protects against allergens, and changing your filters in your car and HVAC.

As we near closer to spring time it is important to consider adding in or making some changes in our day-to-day life so that we can help prevent allergies. Be sure to schedule your acupuncture appointment this spring to help with the upcoming allergy season or any other spring symptoms you may be experiencing.

Why I Became an Acupuncturist

Hi, My name is Laura Stauffer Parks and I’m a Licensed Acupuncturist and Certified Health Coach at Cloud 9 Acupuncture and here’s my story of how I became an acupuncturist.

Long ago, I was a Massage Therapist who was afraid of needles. One week, at least half of my clients came in asking me about acupuncture, and asking me if I knew of a good local acupuncturist for them to try. I answered No, actually I’ve never tried acupuncture because I’m afraid of needles. After maybe the 10th or 12th client asked me this same question about acupuncture, I decided to go try acupuncture just once, to find a nice local acupuncturist that I could send all my massage clients to. And so, I did just that.

When I began receiving acupuncture treatments, I had no idea what to expect. I had allergies that were bad enough I’d have to take prescription allergy meds daily or face a nasty sinus infection as soon as I’d try to stop taking it. After my second acupuncture treatment, my allergies were gone for good, which was awesome! Even better was the deep and profound relaxation I felt not just during my session but for days, even a week after my treatment. That really got my attention, as a massage therapist I knew the relaxation from a good massage can last a solid day if you’re lucky.

I was about 22 years old when I received my first acupuncture treatment. Over the next few years, I was continuously amazed by what acupuncture could do for me. I’d twisted my ankle coming off the curb the wrong way, and after acupuncture walked out like it never happened. Colds went away faster, things I would normally take antibiotics for I was now using acupuncture with great success.

What really took the cake for me was when my cat suddenly fell ill. All of a sudden one day, my cat had gone into kidney failure. According to the vet, after being hospitalized for 3 days and about a thousand dollars later, my cat had about a 10% chance of survival, as they still did not actually know why my cat’s kidneys were shutting down. I told my acupuncturist and she recommended her colleague who treats cats. So when my cat came home from the vet, looking very much like he was dying, he got his very first acupuncture treatment.

Here’s what happened… She placed the needles for 15 minutes on my cat’s back, then took them out. In that 15 mins my cat went from not able to lift his head or meow, dingy damp fur and yellowing eyes to leaping off the couch, jumping into the bathtub and begging for water out of the tub faucet, drinking water and meowing loudly, running to the kitchen and eating a large bowl of cat food (he hadn’t eaten for about a week), and then swiftly running back to us and rubbing against our legs while excitedly meowing loud and fast, as if to say, “thank you, thank you, thank you! I feel so much better!” My cat would go on to live another 10 years.

After my miraculous cat acupuncture experience I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I knew I had to go to acupuncture school and learn how to help people with this medicine of vast possibilities. So I did. I’ve enjoyed every day of being an acupuncturist, helping patients with so many different kinds of conditions. Every day is so different, because you never know what the patient is going to come in with, physical or emotional, that they may need tending. Every day is a true adventure and I feel so honored to offer this medicine.

If you have questions about how acupuncture can help you with your health concerns, please call to schedule a Free Consultation – I’d love to help!