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Traditional Chinese Medicine

Springtime, The Wood Element & You

By Kelly Ferguson, M.Ac., L.Ac.

 

Often clients will hear their acupuncturists speaking about the five elements and their characteristics. The five elements are within us all, but we usually identify with one or two more strongly than the other elements. One of these elements is the Wood element. It is connected to the spring time which we are finally starting to see after this long and cold winter.  

The Wood element is identified by its color, sound, odor and emotion which are green, shout, rancid and anger. What does that mean? Well, these are the things your acupuncturist is going to start looking for to see if you identify as a wood element:

We’ll look for things like, does the color green pop up around the client’s corner of the eye?

Does their voice hold a level of command and confidence to it when they speak?

Do they smell rancid like a freshly cut tree or mowed grass? Is there a level of authority, determination, focus or drive within them?

These are some of the questions I ask myself as a practitioner when I am in the room with clients. So, what do you think? Are you a Wood element?

Eating According to TCM: Five Foods for Spring

Spring is a time of renewal, regeneration, growth and energy. The plants and animals awaken from the slumber of the cold winter months. The vital nutrients that have been stored in the roots of the plants and the bodies of the animals, comes to the surface and life becomes more vibrant and fluid. Human beings are no different. Humans tend to stay indoors more during the winter months and sometimes pack on a little extra weight in the process. As the weather warms, humans become more gregarious and spend more time outside enjoying nature. This is just a natural process. continue reading »

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. 

Five Acupuncture Points for Spring

Spring is the season of growth, regeneration, increased activity and new beginnings. During the season of spring, people experience many changes. Allergies, high blood pressure, headaches, sinus pain and congestion, anger, irritation and tendon problems are just some of the issues common to the spring months. Many of these problems can be attributed to increased wind in the environment. And while there is nothing that can be done about external wind, internal wind can be addressed and diminished using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the many modalities it incorporates. continue reading »

Mental/Emotional Aspects of The Heart

The major responsibility of the heart in TCM is housing the mind and controlling the shen. “Shen” can be seen as the overall healthiness of the mind. When you look at a healthy person in good spirits, you know how you can see that in their eyes? There is a certain bright clarity and sense of health that shines from within. We acupuncturists would say that this person has good shen. continue reading »

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