New York Acupuncturist

Fall is in the air, you can smell it, and you can most definitely feel it. The air has a crisp quality to it. It invigorates the senses, encourages us to bundle up a little more, and hasten our pace.

Let us all take a moment to breath the fall air deeply into your lungs, and let out big sigh. According to the Taoist tradition of the Five Elements, Fall is the time of Metal; of Letting Go.  It is a time of transition.

The season of Fall and the Spirit of Metal is about letting go of grief, and returning to the Earth to prepare for the coming Winter. In Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the organs that correspond to the Metal Element are the Lungs and the Large Intestine. These Organs deal with breathing deeply and deeply letting go.

The trees let go of the old growth, and turn inward to conserve their reserves for the coming Winter. Animals begin to bunker down and keep warm. We should take cues from nature and make a shift in our own energy. If we are carrying around old growth, it is time to let it go in order to take care of our own wellbeing, and move forward.

During this cool, windy time it is important to keep warm and covered. Even before it gets very cold, it is a good idea to wear a scarf, and keep your neck covered. A cool wind at the back of your neck can leave you susceptible to catching a cold, inflaming your sinuses, or getting a stiff neck.

So please do breath deeply of the crisp Fall air, but please remember your scarf.
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People often say to me, “I tried acupuncture once, but it didn’t really help me.” Well that’s like saying “I tried therapy once, and it didn’t really help me.” Finding a therapist or a hairdresser is more about the match, the interpersonal communication, and their skill. Just because you had a terrible haircut once, doesn’t mean that getting your haircut is not for you. The same is true with acupuncture.

In acupuncture there is a wide variety in the ways people are taught, learn, and practice. There are many different styles of acupuncture. The style of acupuncture that is most commonly taught and practiced in the U.S. is called TCM. This “Traditional Chinese Medicine” is actually a watered down version of acupuncture coming out of post-communist China.

When Mao took over, in addition to kicking out the experts of every field, so he could make new experts that he could control, he wished to modernize Chinese Medicine. In this new modernization, the focus of Chinese Medicine was put on Chinese Herbs. Chinese Herbs, like Western Pharmacology is lucrative, because you are selling a product to consumers, and isn’t that what communist China is really all about? “Made In China.”

With the new focus of Chinese Medicine on Herbology, Acupuncture was forced into a lesser more supportive role in the treatment.

This modernized Chinese Medicine, TCM, is what was exported to the U.S. when China finally opened its borders in the 1970’s. This is what most Acupuncturists in the U.S. learn and practice. In fact, it is what our national board exam is based on, so you have to learn it.

But there are more dynamic styles of acupuncture out there, that stand on their own two feet, as a powerful treatment modality. At the Tri-State College of Acupuncture in New York City, you learn three distinct styles of Acupuncture: A Japanese Style, a modern American Trigger Point Style, and the Chinese Style. You are also fortunate enough to work closely with the founders of these styles, Kiiko Matsumoto and Mark Seem.

As an Acupuncturist who mixes three styles in my practice, I am able to approach any situation from three different directions. Acupuncture can be a lot like problem solving, figuring out what works best. In my experience I draw on the strengths of three different styles of Acupuncture when treating my patients. I believe this is the strength of a well-rounded acupuncturist.

www.rootbranchacupuncture.com

I had suffered some severe pain and swelling over several weeks, and after a trip to an OBGYN, discovered that I had an enlarged cyst on my right ovary. This was the second problem I’d had, having had a very large ovarian cyst removed eight years prior. Wanting very badly to avoid surgery, and also understanding the importance of keeping my only functional ovary safe, I decided to try acupuncture. After just two treatments using a Japanese style of acupuncture that I was very receptive to, I noticed a huge improvement. The pain quickly went away and a subsequent ultrasound showed that the cyst had shrunken significantly. I was particularly impressed with this type of treatment because I could tell instantly what was working. I also walked away with improvements in other areas such as my ribs and hips.

www.rootbranchacupuncture.com