Thought-wise, it was a short step to thinking about what I need to be talking about now that Autumn and Winter are coming up. Because what we do (or don’t do) to strengthen our immune systems today will affect how healthy we’re likely to be when the cold, dark, damp weather returns.

Riding The Tiger
There’s a Kung Fu term that aptly describes the clarity of awareness needed when we face upsetting or dangerous situations: Riding The Tiger. If we think of stress as the ‘Tiger’ we need to be careful because it seems to be always around these days in a wide-variety of shapes and sizes.

And while it’s not likely any of us will get chomped on by a tiger, we’re likely to experience intense jolts, or prolonged periods of stress which can undermine the strength of the immune system and leave us vulnerable to illness.

What You Can Do
Each of us have built-in capacities to become and stay healthy, and there are things you can do to build your resistance to illness.

• Practice deep breathing
• Learn Tai Chi Chuan or Chi Kung
• Consult with an Oriental Medicine practitioner

Spend Time In The Garden
Dirt is very receptive, you can smash it with a hoe, scrape it with metal rakes, jab it with pitchforks ... and it doesn’t seem to mind at all.

So going into a garden and dropping your *^%$ there is a time-honored way to rejuvenate. And in the spirit of relaxation and wisdom, we invite you into one of our favorite places ... The Haiku Garden ...

When you breathe air into your lungs, you’re bringing ‘Chi’ into your body.

For example, after a few treatments you may find yourself saying: “I feel much better, but I don’t understand why.”

Some people tell me they think to themselves: “I don’t know what this ‘Chi’ thing is, but I just feel good after doing Chi Kung.” Or, “I don’t know what ‘Chi’ is, but I sure feel much better after an acupuncture treatment.”

Trust How You Feel

Until you become more familiar with how the Oriental Medicine treatment process works, once your body is feeling better, the mind is known to play a little questioning game that goes something like this: “What am I doing? What is this? How is this happening? This is totally different from what I’m used to.” And perhaps you have other variations to add to the list.

Elite Western medical centers like the Mayo Clinic, Duke University Medical Center, and the University of California-San Francisco now offer acupuncture.

Or maybe someone who knows you’ve been having health problems says: “You’re looking good; what have you been doing?” And all you can think to say is, “Oh, I’m doing this ancient Oriental Medicine stuff.”; which can cause a bit of ‘social dissonance’ (especially if most people you know typically talk about their procedures, medications, and tests). 

You may also wonder: “Wow, nobody else I know is talking about or using Oriental Medicine” — and then realize the ‘security-of-the-crowd’ is conspicuously absent.

Knowing Is Your Guide

And then comes the point in the treatment process where you begin to remember: You remember ... I feel better ... I feel healthier ... I feel good.

You remember how you felt when other approaches weren’t working well for you and you decided to try Oriental Medicine. Often, it wasn’t that long ago that your problem was acute, and now it’s much better — or gone.

So now you know the ‘power’ of Oriental Medicine, but you still don’t know what this thing called “Chi” is.

So What Is Chi?

Chi (pronounced “Chee”) is the foundational idea of Oriental Medicine. Chi has been understood since ancient times, and although many other East Asian products made their way along the ‘Silk Road’ between east and west — gunpowder, porcelain and tea — the concept and practice of ‘Chi’ — while available — was not in high demand.

What is Chi
A new born baby
is brimming with Chi;
A dead person
has none.

Today Oriental Medicine is finding its way into the broad American mainstream — through the new ‘Silk Road’ of global trade — and finding its place within the American health care system.

So you could say that to feel healthy is to feel your Chi, with Chi being your body’s energy or ‘life-force.’ When you have enough Chi, and it’s getting everywhere in your body that it needs to be, you feel healthy.  And when you feel healthy, you have the energy you need to do the things you want and need to do. That energy is called ‘Chi.’

Chi is the bio-electrical energy that flows through your body all the time. When it’s flowing smoothly, you feel good; when it gets blocked or tangled up, you feel pain or discomfort.

Related Articles

This is just one morsel from Michael Pollan’s new book: Food Rules; a pithy compendium of stark insights highlighting the mess that has become the ‘Western’ diet.

In 140 pages Michael Pollan has laid out “64 (gentle) rules” for how to avoid the manipulations of the ‘food industrial complex’ by reminding us of much that we already know about healthy eating, but have lost touch with.

This book is on our ‘give-as-a-gift’ list, and is a ‘gift-of-a-lifetime’ for the children in your life who have been born into the (somewhat) sick food culture we’re all contending with today.

Reading “Food Rules” feels like snacking on healthy bits of easily digestible information that are readily absorbed into your diet planning as you read it.

Rules and Reminders

Here’s a quick taste of what you’ll find in “Food Rules”:

A Few Rules:

• “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”
• “Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.”
• “Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.”

A Few Reminders:

• “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper.”
• “After lunch, rest a while; after dinner, walk a mile.”
• “Put down your fork between bites.”

A Good Read

“Food Rules” is a pleasant read that doesn’t make you feel guilty or anxious about what you’re not doing right in your life.

Pollan does not come off sounding like the ‘Food Police’ ... as he makes clear in “Rule 64: Break the rules once in a while” when he reminds us: “All things in moderation … including moderation.”

Bon Appétit!

Read & Watch More

Rules to Eat By

Food Rules: Your Dietary Dos and Don’ts

Michael Pollan on Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual (Video)

Michael Pollan’s Books

Who Gets Sick and Who Doesn’t

I would say the people who don’t get sick when something is ‘going around’ are the ones whose Immune Systems are in better shape.

The Immune System has everything to do with whether or not viruses or bacteria that infect your body actually make you sick, or whether they’re killed off by the antibodies the Immune System musters for battle.

Throughout human history there have been people who have been exposed to diseases, like bubonic plague for instance, and didn’t get infected. These were the people who took care of the others who did suffer from the plague.

And while there has been research showing that the ability to fend off some diseases is influenced by genetics, at the same time, the role a strong Immune System plays in ensuring good health cannot be overlooked.

If you have a healthy Immune System, you’re much less likely, not guaranteed, but much less likely to be infected by the germs we share the planet with that can make us sick.

Building & Maintaining a Healthy Immune System

From an Oriental medical perspective — and I make this distinction because the thinking is quite different between East and West on the issue of immune function — your Immune System comes primarily from the energy or Chi of the Lungs and Kidneys. And based on this way of thinking, what you do to keep your Immune System strong is you build strength in the Lungs and Kidneys.

By strengthening these two organ systems they’re better able to join energetically to provide you with the immune function that helps ward off viruses and bacteria which can make you sick.

How We Live Affects Our Health

As I mentioned, there are people who inherited genes that allow them to truthfully say: “I never get sick.” But that’s not most of us — and unfortunately, with all of the cultural and environmental challenges ‘going around’ today, fewer and fewer people will be able to make that claim over time.

Stress Undermines the Immune System. It’s essential to recognize that acute and chronic levels of stress suppress the vitality and function of the Immune System. This happens because ongoing stress causes tension along the body’s energy channels which causes them to ‘tighten’ and restrict the amount of energy or Chi flowing to the organs.

Remember: The organs supporting the vitality and strength of the Immune System are the Lungs and Kidneys.

Fortunately there are a number of things you can do to manage and recover from the impact stress has on your organs, and as a result, on your health.

Diet & Nutrition. One place you can begin to control the effects stress has on your health is to improve your diet. A healthy diet delivers the energy or Chi the organs need to be vibrant and healthy.

It’s a relatively simple formula: a healthy diet helps to improve health.

On the other hand, if on top of all the events in your life that cause you stress you add a poor diet ... that’s like being in the desert with no food and no water — not a good situation to be in.

Getting Back to the ‘Oasis’

So if you find yourself in the (metaphorical) ‘desert’ and running out of energy, the first thing to do is: Reorient yourself so you can find your way back to the ‘oasis’ where you can recover and refocus.

The first step is simple: Begin moving in the right direction. Take small steps. Begin by improving your diet. Begin by adding Oriental Medicine to your health care — the herbs, the acupuncture — whatever you can add-in ... do it ... start improving your situation.

Practice Chi Kung and do some whenever you can. That’s what I tell people who are learning Chi Kung ... and those who know some Chi Kung exercises but don’t find time to enjoy them. Just do a little bit each day. Do some breathing, do some stretching. Start wherever you can.

Start feeling ‘good’ because feeling good is a good habit leading to a stronger Immune System and good health.

From our Western, astronomical point-of-view, June 21st marks the first day of Summer. And since we’re cultivating an understanding of ‘seasonal energy’ or ‘Chi,’ now is a good time to point out that ‘energetically’ — as Eastern thinking goes — the Summer Solstice marks the mid-point of Summer rather than its beginning.

Whether or not this idea seems a bit unusual, just for the sake of exploration let’s consider what it might mean if Summer Solstice does mark the midpoint of Summer rather than its beginning.

What difference would it make in your life: besides being just a day on the calendar reminding us to wash the deck furniture and get ready for vacation?

Seasons Affect Your Organ-ization

We all know that each season of the year has its own unique characteristics and requirements.

In our minds, we know we need to change our wardrobes; that different kinds of events find their way into our schedules; and (to some extent) we change our diet and the food we eat. At the same time, your body is making its own adjustments.

According to the 5 Element Theory used in Oriental Medicine, the major organ systems in your body also change with the seasons. Each season a specific organ system goes into ‘energetic overdrive”: Heart in Summer; Spleen/Pancreas in late-Summer; Lungs in Autumn; Kidneys in Winter; and Liver in Spring.

Getting Organ-ized

If you’re trying to manage your health in accordance with these natural rhythms, then finding out that Summer Solstice marks the midpoint of Summer, rather than its beginning, could be a problem.

It means that right now we’re way further into the ‘Fire’ energy of Summer then you thought, and you probably have not been making the necessary ‘lifestyle’ adjustments your body needs to stay ‘balanced in Summer. These adjustments are needed to offset the stresses Summer places on the Heart, and by association, the Kidneys.

And when we add another consideration to the equation — the unfolding effects of climate change and how that seems to be associated with the seasonal energy changing even earlier than in previous years — this information takes on a ‘Darwinian’ dimension. It shows you how you can ‘adapt’ to global changes in a healthy way.

Knowing Is Technology

Did the ancient Chinese think and act ‘seasonally’? Of course they did; they had to. They didn’t have any choice. They had no on-demand electrical lighting, no refrigeration for their food, or air-conditioning to keep cool in Summer. When it was dark, it was dark; when it was cold, it was cold. Knowing how to be in synch with the energetics of the season was their technology.

In the 21st century we have astounding technologies which enable us to disregard natural cycles and their rhythms. And to the extent we’ve lost that rhythm, to that extent we’re out of balance. And when you’re out of balance you stumble, and too much stumbling leads to falling down.

Increasingly that’s what’s happening to the general level of health these days; it’s falling down.

Uplifting Health

The message I want to end on is an uplifting one. Today we can enjoy the benefits of both Western and Eastern technology: the technical accomplishments of Western science and the intuitive ‘knowing’ of Oriental Medicine.

As we see it at BIOM, the goal of healthy living is reached when we balance both approaches and thereby live a balanced life.

Happy Summer.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that too many people today are suffering with all sorts of headaches. According to the National Institutes of Health the most common type of headache is a tension headache, which they say is often related to stress, depression or anxiety.

And why is there so much tension these days? I suppose everyone has their own answer to that question, but one thing is for sure: we’re all being affected.

The Stress Factor
Stress is a huge factor in peoples’ lives today; a trigger for headaches, and a catalyst for many other chronic illnesses. And how stress affects your health depends on how you respond to it.

We experience ‘global’ stress, like the oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Afghanistan. And we feel it ‘locally’ in countless ways: driving in traffic, shopping in a crowded store, people we run into who are having a bad day, and the list goes on. Each of us has our own unique brew of stress to contend with and manage.

A Simple Step
We’re not the first generation to live in ‘exciting’ times.  Thousands of years ago Chinese Taoists counseled people living in stressful times who wanted peace in their lives to “Lay low.”

In those days that often meant retreating to the mountains. An option that we, in the 21st century, don’t find that appealing. So what to do? One simple step is to read “Hope For The Flowers” to get some inspiration and a fresh perspective for getting down and away from the ‘caterpillar pillar.’ 

What Do You Say?
Being able to talk in a healthy way — not in a blaming, ranting way — about what’s causing your stress is a huge advantage to you. Talking in a realistic way about your stress enables you to grapple with what’s causing it and figure out ways to diffuse it.
It’s healthy to talk about what’s stressing you out, even if you don’t see any way to change things. Noticing the patterns in your life that feed your stress is an important step toward understanding how to defuse the situations that cause it.

Those of you who come to BIOM for treatment know how much value I place on taking the time to talk about what’s going on. This kind of conversation helps me with a diagnosis, and perhaps creates for you an opportunity for healthy insight.

So who to talk to? Doctors and therapists are an obvious place to begin the conversation. Friends and family are an option too: provided the relationship is a ‘trusting’ one and your friend or family member is not too stressed

More Balance — Less Stress
When your body’s energy or Chi is balanced you have less stress. The body naturally can process a certain amount of stress when it’s balanced. That’s what a healthy nervous system is designed to do. 

Imagine a wetland - like those along the Gulf Coast or anywhere else: as long as it’s healthy it can handle a certain amount of toxicity or storm intensity, but only up to the point where it’s overwhelmed.  So too, your body can only tolerate a certain amount of stress, and beyond that point health begins to deteriorate.

The body is analogous to Nature because it is Nature - from it and of it.

Staying Sane In A Crazy World
So in a crazy world, how do you stay sane? ‘Breathe ... Consciously.’ This is what I call ‘foundational’ Chi Kung.

Take some minutes each day to breathe slowly and deeply, and pretty soon you’ll be saying to yourself: “I don’t feel as stressed out as I used to.”

And when you know how to avoid or minimize stress, you’ll be able to ‘celebrate’ National Headache Awareness Week next year ... because you won’t have any.

It’s mid-May, how is the seasonal energy affecting health?
People are starting to complain about heat-related symptoms … so it’s pretty clear the ‘Fire’ energy of Summer is starting to come in early. I’m already seeing more Heart/Kidney imbalances — ranging from panic attacks to discomforts like edema (puffiness or swelling) in the feet and ankles — and it’s so early to be seeing things like that. And what makes it all the more noticeable is that these symptoms are happening in people who are not prone to these conditions in other seasons of the year.

To me this is an indicator that the Fire energy this Summer will be more intense than usual. And what it should be telling you is that now is the time to prepare your body so it can minimize, or avoid, the health problems that arise in Summer — a time when the ‘Fire’ energy is pulling hard on your body’s Heart and Kidney systems.

What do you mean when you say the energy this Summer will be more intense than usual?
Energetically, all of the seasons and their specific types of energy — Fire in Summer, Earth in Late Summer, Metal in Autumn, Water in Winter, and Wood in Spring — have been more intense than normal over the past two or so years.

How do you measure this ‘intensity’?
The main way is by noticing how intense the symptoms are in the people I treat. For example, I’m expecting this Summer to be intense energetically — specifically regarding how the body’s Heart system is affected — because ordinarily Heart-related symptoms wouldn’t be showing up in early May, but they have been.

The seasonal energy should just come in somewhat unnoticed in the six or so weeks leading up to the solstice, and only when the season is fully upon us should the body start to show the normal symptoms of the season.

How do I know if I’m more likely to experience Heart- or Kidney-related issues in Summer?
The likelihood of experiencing health problems in Summer is relatively low if your Heart and Kidney energies are balanced. And ‘balancing’ is what Oriental Medicine does.

If you’re not getting periodic acupuncture treatments and taking Chinese medical herbs, you can get a sense of how balanced your Heart and Kidney energies are by spending some quiet time with yourself to get a feel — physically and intuitively — for what’s going on with your body. After you do that, take a look at the Five Element Chart on this page and see which aspects of the ‘Fire’ and ‘Water’ energy (if any) relate to how you’re feeling.

Click for larger image

Important: Keep in mind that the Five Element Chart is a generalized representation of the Five Element Theory.

When referring to the Five Element Chart, if you sense you have a health issue, it’s essential to see a medical doctor and/or an Oriental Medicine practitioner

The fact is ‘Fire’ energy affects everyone uniquely at any given time. But if you can recognize and sense the ‘Fire’ in your own body, you can begin to notice some of its general effects on an unbalanced Heart-system. For some of us it’s a simple matter of blood pressure, for others it’s more complicated.

What does it mean to be ‘balanced’? How do I know when I have balanced energy?
Well let’s take Wood energy, which is predominant in Spring, as our example. The ‘balanced’ trait of Wood energy is Kindness; so feel in yourself: Do you feel an abundance of Kindness in yourself? Do you predominantly experience Kindness in the world, in the society where you live? How much Kindness you experience in yourself only you know, but in the world today it’s easier to come across fear, anger, and hatred than Kindness.

So you can see from that, if you’re looking for ‘balance’ in Spring, look for Kindness — inside yourself and out — and if you don’t find it you know you’re not in a balanced place.

What does ‘balance’ look like in Summer’s ‘Fire’ energy?
The balanced side of ‘Fire’ energy is ‘Joy’ and ‘Courage.’ So if a challenging opportunity arises this Summer that asks you to try something you haven’t done before, if you feel ‘joyful’ that this opportunity has come to you and feel the ‘courage’ to take it on, that would be an example of balanced Heart/Kidney energy. On the other hand, if you feel anxious about trying something new and different, and are overly concerned about whether you’ll do well at it, that’s an example of Heart/Kidney energy in need of balance.

And although this kind of situation can obviously arise any time of the year, in the Summer — the time of the ‘Fire’ energy — it’s more likely for these emotional traits of the Heart and Kidneys to surface.

So here we are now, late-Spring, still at peak Liver energy, with “Fire” energy coming in on top of that … what’s a person to do?
Start by beginning to carve out a space in your busy schedule where you can feel some peace. Learn and practice techniques that enable you to calm your mind. Too many people today are being tortured by what’s going on in their own heads — not to mention everything that’s going on around them.

Spring is probably one of the worst times for this because, as you can see on the Five Element Chart, ‘mental activity’ is the trait associated with the Wood energy of Spring. Being more moderate in your daily life brings some relief from stress and tension, and as a result, more calmness and Kindness … in a word: Balance.

So Oriental Medicine treatment will help me balance my energy and feel calm?
Oriental Medicine is an ‘energy balancer.’ All of the Eastern medicine is about balancing the energy, all of it; so do as much of it as you can.

Related Article
Staying Healthy in Summer

By early Spring Liver energy is quite strong; it has to be to force leaves out of bare branches. It’s doing the same thing with us, we just don’t have leaves that come out. But what does come out of us, depends on the health of the Liver.

Health is like money: save and invest properly and you’ll have what you need.

Liver energy begins to be felt around late-January/early-February. By April it’s in full bore. Then, as Summer energy gradually begins to approach around mid-May, the momentum of Liver energy begins to wane.

In April and early May, Liver energy is at its pinnacle, and if you’ve been plugged-in full-time to this Spring energy socket you may be feeling a bit worn down by now. And anyone who felt fatigued at the end of Winter, and then overindulged in Spring/Liver energy, may be feeling exhausted.

The seasonal energy starts to change about six weeks before the solstice or equinox. Oriental Medicine provides the tune-up your body needs to be ready.

A Rush of Energy
Spring energy is like an adrenaline rush, especially coming off of the low energy level of Winter. And when that burst of energy comes, we’re off and running — and tend not to stop until pooping-out.

While it’s wonderful to get as much as you can out of Spring, it’s wise to remember that in Summer — the season of the Fire energy — the Heart is the organ that determines your health, and based on the Oriental Medicine Cycle of Generation the Heart gets its energy from the Liver.

So if you’ve exhausted your Liver energy in Spring, the Heart won’t be ready to experience the ‘joy’ of Summer.

The Cycle of Energy
According to the ‘Cycle of Generation’ as we move from Spring to Summer the Liver passes the ‘energy baton’ along to the Heart. So if the Liver gets depleted in Spring it doesn’t have the force to energize the Heart for the work the Heart needs to do in the Summer. 

This handoff of energy from one organ to another — a cycle as certain as the seasons — works like this:

• Spring to Summer: Liver (Wood) to Heart (Fire)
• Summer to Late-Summer: Heart (Fire) to Digestion (Earth)
• Late-Summer to Autumn: Digestion (Earth) to Lungs (Metal)
• Autumn to Winter: Lungs (Metal) to Kidneys (Water)
• Winter to Spring: Kidneys (Water) to Liver (Wood)

If you keep your energy or Chi balanced, this process works quite smoothly. If you don’t, health problems arise.

It’s essential to keep this in mind:
If you don’t replenish your body’s energy/Chi season-by-season it becomes more difficult to build it back up after a health problem occurs and the body ages more quickly.

Oriental Medicine specializes in rebuilding and maintaining the organs: your body’s energy generators.

There’s no better time than now to start the energy balancing process.

So if you’re still revved-up with Spring energy, doing more than that ‘knowing’ part of yourself wants to be doing, pay more attention to that knowing; when you hit your wall, back off instead of powering through it. You’ll be surprised: the important things still get done, and what’s most important is that you start feeling better in your body.

The warbler
wipes its muddy feet
on the plum blossoms
— Issa

A Discussion About Liver Energy

Given its intensity, it seems like Liver energy is present year round ...

It’s true, we’re living in an ongoing stream of Liver energy because of all the toxins in our lives that affect the Liver and the effects that major imbalances like climate change and economic uncertainty have on the nervous system.

We’ve become mentally conditioned to being in Liver energy all the time. Everything says: “Go, go, go” … I say: “Flow, flow, flow …”

Though from a ‘seasonal’ point of view Spring is a ‘revved up’ time, a time to get things done. But when you’ve gotten things done, you need to rest … work then rest … that’s balance. But we go and go and go and go … until it catches up with us, and then we still try to keep going … the body may poop-out, but the thoughts keep saying: “Why aren’t you doing this or that …,” or whatever message you hear in your head.”

It’s very hard for people today to have a restful feeling … regardless of what time of year it is. In that regard Liver energy is the predominant energy in our lives today. And to the extent you balance the Liver, to that extent balance will begin to return to your body — and the return on that investment is health and well-being.

So you’re saying that people are always running on Liver energy regardless of the season we’re in?

Yes, because, in addition to the toxins and stresses beyond our immediate control, making lots of money and being super-productive have become an overarching cultural expectation; and the price we pay is that we lose touch with our natural rhythm.

Not rebalancing organ energy, season by season, is like drawing down your savings account without replenishing it: at some point it will be empty.

And because we live in ways today that are so removed from Nature, we’re not even noticing much of the time that things are blooming in Spring and Summer; that leaves are falling in Autumn and are gone in Winter.

We just don’t pay much attention to the natural flow of things around us, so how are we supposed to notice our own energy — what’s going on inside ourselves — when that’s not our habit?

Just like at night, we turn the lights on and don’t really know in any meaningful way that it’s night …
Exactly, you don’t notice. As a culture we’re out of touch … for example, people tend to sleep the same amount of time in Summer as in Winter … but the body and mind need more sleep in Winter than in Summer. How we sleep, eat, exercise … live … makes all the difference in how we feel.

It seems natural to have lots of energy in Spring, the challenge is how to use it wisely …

Spring is Nature telling us to get busy … it’s the time when it gives you the energy to shift into high gear to get things done. When you work hard in Spring you’re likely to not feel as tired as you would if you worked the same way, say in Winter. Nature’s got you covered because there is work to be done … (traditionally) clear the ground, plant the seeds, husband the animals, get your wood in, do what needs to be done before Winter.

As Summer arrives, Liver energy is trying to recover. A healthy Liver needs rebalancing; an unhealthy Liver needs rebuilding.

I treat some people who get all revved-up in Spring and when Summer shows its beautiful face, they’re burnt out energetically. They forgot to keep their energy balanced.

Rebalance Your Energy
Start by paying attention to how you feel. Recognize when you need to pull back on the amount of energy you’re putting out; know when to slow down. Practice moderation and the balancing process becomes automatic.

By paying attention to how you feel, you will know how often you need treatment.

So given this improved bodily function at the outset of the Oriental Medicine treatment process it makes sense to have the first 5 to 7 treatments scheduled closely together to take advantage of this body dynamic. After the initial set of treatments, it’s typical to experience a ‘plateau’ — where your initial pain or discomfort has improved, but the underlying conditions that caused the problem in the first place still remain.

When you reach your plateau, that’s where you would start to lengthen the interval between treatments: a week and a half, every other week; the frequency is determined by how you feel, the strength of your body to hold a treatment, and how likely your symptoms are to reappear. By paying attention to how you feel, you will know how often you need treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

“How Many Treatments Will I Need?”

The body works to heal itself in incremental ways, and Oriental Medicine matches the way the body works. Consider two examples: ‘acute’ pain and ‘chronic’ pain. If you’re out gardening and do something that ‘acutely’ injures your back, it may only take one or two acupuncture treatments to relieve the pain. But in situations where the pain is ‘chronic’ — comes and goes or has been with you for a long time — that’s the type of situation that has to be treated incrementally and will take more than one or two treatments to resolve.

At BIOM acupuncture can be done with or without needles: t’s your choice.

“If I have an acute situation and acupuncture clears it up after a few treatments, why do I need more treatments going forward?”

You have to look at what caused the acute situation in the first place. Chances are there was a long-standing imbalance in the body that allowed it to be injured or become ill. Once the pressing pain or discomfort has been relieved it’s essential to address the underlying imbalance.

When you feel healthy that’s your body’s way of saying: “Keep doing what you’re doing.” And when you notice you’re not feeling good, that’s the body signaling that it has gotten out-of-balance. Paying attention in this way is part of what Socrates was talking about when he said: “Know thyself.”

“How long do the effects of an acupuncture treatment last?”

The normal length of time an acupuncture treatment stays resonant in the body is two to four days. This ‘healing effect’ can be extended if you’re also taking Chinese medical herbs, practicing good diet and nutrition, and doing one or two prescribed Chi Kung exercises.

“Once my condition has stabilized and I’m feeling good how far apart should I schedule treatments?”

People who use Oriental Medicine as part of their ongoing health maintenance get treatments at least monthly — once they’re symptom-free. Whenever symptoms return, or you start to not feel as good as you’ve gotten used to, that’s the signal that your body needs assistance — some combination of acupuncture, Chinese medical herbs, diet and nutrition and Chi Kung.

A Chinese medical herb formula will not act on pain the same way pharmaceutical drugs do.

“How do Chinese medical herbs fit into the treatment process”

First off, it’s important to understand that you should not expect a Chinese medical herb formula to be the functional equivalent of a Western pharmaceutical drug. Take the situation of dealing with ‘pain’: A Chinese herbal formula will not act on pain the same way pharmaceutical drugs like advil or oxycontin will. That’s not how the herbs work.

Herbs can be targeted toward exactly what is happening with your health, thereby addressing the underlying condition that makes your body vulnerable to pain. Chinese medical herbs are more like food than like drugs; in fact, many Chinese medical herbs are food — like ginger, and mint and other ingredients we use in our cooking.

In the Oriental Medicine treatment process acute pain is often best addressed and alleviated with acupuncture, while Chinese medical herbs can provide a nutritional energy that strengthens the body so it’s not susceptible to conditions that result in pain.

Most people get the greatest benefit by combining acupuncture and Chinese medical herbs.

“Does a treatment always combine acupuncture & Chinese medical herbs?”

Most people get the greatest benefit by combining acupuncture and Chinese medical herbs. For example, someone with chronic back pain who decides to space their acupuncture treatments further apart than what would be optimal, would be able to extend their body’s ability to hold the effects of that treatment longer if herbs were added to the mix.

Chinese medical herbs are also extremely beneficial in between acupuncture treatments if you have a condition for which the herbs are the best solution. For example, some Kidney problems have a 60% response rate when only acupuncture is used. But when Chinese medical herbs are added to the treatment, the response rate rises to 90-95%.

Overall, health is improved when adapting an Oriental Medicine lifestyle — acupuncture/acupressure; Chinese medical herbs; 5 Element diet and nutrition; and Chi Kung. Oriental Medicine is not the only way, but for those so inclined, it’s a marvelously simple way to regain and maintain that wonderful feeling of health and well-being.