Migraines & Headaches

Becoming Resilient to Stress

I once had to write an essay on the book, “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” by Robert Sapolsky and I can summarize it to this day… The sympathetic nervous system elicits the “fight or flight” response. A third response is to freeze in place.

Modern humans often freeze in place, stall. Usually, we do not fight others or run (flight) like zebras run away from lions, but we just sit or stand in place, doing the same exact thing physically we were doing prior to the stress trigger. The cortisol elevates with the stressor, the adrenaline surges… and we sit (or stand) in place instead of using that fuel to launch into a sprint away from a predator (lion, tiger or bear, oh my!)

Zebras have no choice. They run or they die, or they run and die. Either way, they really must run. In turn, their bodies burn off the adrenaline surge and other stress hormones. This is why they do not get ulcers.

However, humans do get ulcers, because their ancient wiring “fight or flight” response designed to keep them alive during times of war with neighboring tribes, or being hunted by predators, simply goes off at very inopportune times… like when we’re stuck in traffic, or getting flack from our boss, or a friend phones with bad news … goes off, constantly, daily, sometimes multiple times per hour. This creates a cascade effect with the nervous system, the neuro-endocrine hormones and creates inflammation, extra body fat, cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, anxiety, panic attacks, headaches, autoimmune disease, insomnia, and more. Everyone responds to stress differently.

Most people respond very well to acupuncture because it brings the nervous system and endocrine system into balance. Over time, with regular acupuncture treatment, patients become less triggered by stress as the “fight or flight” response becomes much more self-regulated.

What’s Our Medical Director Been Up To?

Have you heard? Our Medical Director, Laura Parks, M.Ac., L.Ac. went back to school and will be graduating at the end of April 2023 with her Doctorate in Acupuncture. 13 years after graduating with her Masters degree in Acupuncture, we’ll be calling “Dr. Laura” to the clinic with all her new wisdom on how to help patients.

Here’s what she had to say about her doctorate experience so far: “It’s been so great studying advanced, complex conditions like Lyme’s disease, advanced fertility and gynecological issues, pediatrics, and autoimmune conditions, weighing in with some of the most brilliant minds in the country. Last semester I got to celebrate getting straight A’s in all my classes while juggling family life and running a very busy clinic, all while completing medical internships, studying modern acupuncture research, and learning from live case studies. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to take my training to the next level and serve thousands of patients in the future with this centuries old medicine.”

We can’t wait to see what the future holds upon completing her doctorate this April!

If you’re interested in working with our Medical Director, Laura Parks, this spring, give us a call at 410-847-4766.

Trigeminal Neuralgia… Now there is Hope!

Approximately 15,000 new people are diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia each year. It is most common in people over 50, and more likely to happen to women than men, but is not usually genetic.

Unfortunately, Trigeminal Neuralgia is described as “insanely painful, severe condition” of the face, caused by the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve starts near the top of the ear, then splits into three areas: going towards the eye, cheek, and jaw. Usually trigeminal neuralgia presents on only one side of the face. The pain is often described as more painful than giving birth or passing a kidney stone.

Patients describe the facial pain as:

Stabbing
Electrical sensation
So severe the person cannot eat or drink
Comes on within seconds, but can last minutes or longer
Can be triggered by anything touching the face or teeth (shaving, applying makeup, brushing teeth, even the wind blowing on the face or water touching the face.

Trigeminal Neuralgia causes are not easily known, but some believe it can be caused by dental procedures, facial trauma, or a blood vessel pressing against the trigeminal nerve (vascular compression).

In rare cases, trigeminal neuralgia can be related to multiple sclerosis, a tumor, or possibly from postherpetic neuralgia (caused by shingles).

Traditional treatment for trigeminal neuralgia in western medicine is to use pain medications or invasive surgery, both with many potential side effects.

Now there is Hope. Cloud 9 Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine specializes in treating Trigeminal Neuralgia with over a 90% success rate in significantly reducing the pain in intensity and frequency, and many patients are able to manage their pain without medications after a series of specialized treatments, living fuller, happier lives without pain. The secret to our success is utilizing acupuncture combined with ATP Resonance BioTherapyTM, and O3 Regenerative TherapyTM.

To begin, Call 410-847-4766 for a comprehensive consultation to find out if you are a good candidate for treatment.

Chronic Pain Stops Here

At Cloud 9 Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine, we’ve mastered the art of treating chronic pain. “I’m finally starting to feel better, thanks to you!” is our favorite thing to hear every day at the clinic.

Most of our patients come to us as a last resort, after trying countless surgeries, medications, and procedures without any relief they finally come to us to feel better. Boasting over a 90% success rate in treating conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy, Lupus, Lyme’s disease, Arthritis, and other chronic, complicated conditions, it’s no wonder patients are starting to recommend their family and friends to this “alternative option.” For some patients, we are their only option left.

With the addition of advanced therapies such as ATP Resonance BioTherapy TM and Ozone Regenerative Therapy TM our patients are feeling better than ever.

Our patients are seeing long-lasting results after just a few weeks with these advanced therapies. Need proof? Read over 95 five star reviews on Google at https://g.page/r/CQGy9oVQIk1FEAE

Call 410-847-4766 to begin today!

Making Your Golden Years More Golden with Less Pain

Many of our patients have been told by their doctors they are “just getting old” and they will “just have to live with the pain” or take medications that have a lot of side effects, and usually stop working as well after a while. Hopeless and fighting pain on a daily basis, losing sleep because they are awoken by pain nightly, our patients finally find Cloud 9 Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine as their pain relief solution.

Using cutting edge technology as one of only 3 clinics in the DMV region to offer Ozone therapy and ATP Resonance BioTherapy, specialized electroacupuncture programs specific to a patient’s challenging condition like Neuropathy, Fibromyalgia, or Infertility, our clinical success is unparalleled with over an 85% success rate with these conditions. Results begin in a matter of just a few short weeks.

Ozone is also known as “Activated Oxygen” or O3. Instead of using well-known oxygen aka O2, ozone fully oxygenates any cell or tissue it comes in contact with. Ozone also kills viruses, bacteria, mold, fungus it comes in contact with. Clinically, we use ozone to fully oxygenate cells in conditions that are caused by perceived natural physical decline associated with aging, like Arthritis or Neuropathy. We also see many benefits to using ozone with autoimmune conditions, like Fibromyalgia, Epstein Barr Virus, and Long Haul Covid.

Now there is hope. at Cloud 9 Acupuncture. Begin with a Consultation to learn more. Call 410-847-4766.