Blog

Part I: Tick bite at the site treatment Once bitten, I urge immediate, stringent treatment of the site of a bite with a variety of effective wholistic remedies which will be delineated below.  There is still much misinformation, including statements by the CDC about tick bites and lyme disease. Hanging on to that misinformation, not taking swift powerful action once bitten can be the difference between quickly recovering from an infected bite or dealing with years or even a lifetime of debilitating chronic illness which can manifest physically and/or neurologically. I am acutely aware of this with a beloved family member who has struggled with chronic illness from Lyme and co-infections since childhood despite some of the best conventional and wholistic treatments out there. The current...

Spring is quickly becoming apparent, and is in fact, a little earlier than usual here in New England.  With that, many of us will begin to experience hay fever which is inflammation of the mucous membrane lining of our nasal passages, our sinuses, eyes or even our skin.  The usual prescription and over the counter medications for allergies are created to treat the symptoms of allergies and have little to no effect on helping our bodies change the REASON we are responding to seasonal allergens.   Traditional Chinese medicine, also known as TCM, has a way of identifying the root patterns of reactivity to allergens and getting to the bottom of the problem with effective solutions both in the form of acupuncture, cupping, guasha and Chinese Herbal formulas.  (You can learn about these on my...

Like many of us, I tend to experience a version of what I believe to be Spring Fever.  I TRY to rest up during our New England dark, cold, Winter days and months so by the time the end of March is here, I will have the energy to rise up with Spring. I begin to feel that pressing Spring-like determination to accomplish all sorts of things, from gardening, to exercising, to kicking up activities associated with building my practice and Spring cleaning.  With that energy I begin to plan and forge ahead to fulfill all that I am determined to do as the days lengthen and warmer weather develops  Quite often however, I will see in myself and with many of my clients, friends and family that the upwelling Springtime energy is accompanied by a strange sense of urgent anxiety and nervousness. ...

This 2025 year of the Yin Green wood snake which officially ‘emerged’ on Feb 3rd is about shedding old belief systems that have not been serving us. It is about writing a new story, or chapter for our life this year that involves more exuberant energy overflowing with life and creative ideas. This year of the snake offers even more opportunities to expand our intellect and creativity.   Each year, Chinese cosmology consists of three aspects: 1. One of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals, 2. one of the five elements which are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, and 3. either yin or yang. These three aspects provide information about each year’s energetics and contribute to guiding a person in making life-affirming choices.  Hence, this is the year of YIN WOOD SNAKE      Snake: Snake is a...

As Winter season really settles in with the cold, the stillness and the hibernation of nature, it is worth understanding the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) regarding Winter. The Winter TCM story is of our Kidneys which is a holistic concept encompassing our deepest reserves of energy and our capacity for growth and renewal. TCM teaches that our Kidneys are intimately linked with Winter and are our deepest source and storers of wisdom and knowledge, but when we are over worked, stressed, and under rested we have trouble accessing that wisdom and will feel exhausted, troubled and fearful. In fact truly physically trouble kidneys can bring on thoughts of dying and the fear of death. Therefore, just as with all of nature of which we are a part, we must use the Winter as...

Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture and herbs can significantly relieve or eliminate symptoms by treating the root of your problem. Why Heartburn Happens: In people with frequent heartburn, the lower esophageal sphincter muscle may be weak, or relax too frequently, allowing stomach acids to get into the esophagus. It is not usually a problem of ‘too much stomach acid’. Taking antacids and other acid reducing drugs is often a bandaid for the symptoms and does not correct the underlying cause. Often when people try to stop taking these drugs, the acid reflux can re-occur even more severely. Symptoms: Along with burning pain of the esophagus a person may also have pain with swallowing, nausea, burping, excessive saliva, cough, hoarseness, and bitter taste. The Oriental Medical Perspective on...

Numerous studies have demonstrated the substantial benefits of acupuncture in the treatment of stress, anxiety & depression. Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine can significantly alleviate and even eliminate: – Anxiety and anxiety attacks – Depression – Emotional distress – A wide range of physical symptoms caused by stress Stress is experienced by everyone in a variety of ways. The bottom line is that with stress, our body’s chemistry and hormones are set to fight and or run. For many of us this never lets up which is when all kinds of emotional, mental, and physical problems start occurring. How does Acupuncture and Herbal medicine reduce Stress symptoms? Acupuncture works by regulating the nervous system which changes the chemistry of the body. Studies have shown that with needle...

Oriental Medicine / Acupuncture for Headaches, Migraines & Cluster Headaches Acupuncture is more effective than medication in reducing the severity and frequency of chronic headaches, according to a new analysis conducted by Duke University Medical Center researchers. The pain that headache and migraine sufferers endure can impact every aspect of their lives. Acupuncture can offer powerful relief without the side effects that prescription and over-the-counter drugs can cause. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs have been used to relieve Headaches and Migraines, as well as their underlying causes, for thousands of years and is a widely accepted form of treatment for headaches in our society.There are two basic strategies for treating headache with Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine: First is to...

WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE? DOES IT HURT? These are the two most commonly asked questions about Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a form of medical treatment that encourages your body to promote and participate in its own innate ability to naturally self-heal. Acupuncture helps your body to improve and optimally maintain all of its functions biochemically, physically, emotionally, and mentally. In addition to being a superb preventive and maintenance medicine, it also works safely and excellently along with conventional medicine to effectively treat a wide variety of health disorders. In most cases, the use of acupuncture enhances and safely integrates with all other modalities of health care. WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE AND HOW DOES IT WORK? In summary, Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles (as...

Acupuncture's Significant Role in Treating Pain and its Causes Whether you have chronic or acute pain, there is a lot of evidence-based research to support the healing and pain-relieving effects of acupuncture for a wide range of issues. How do we address your unique issue? At Niantic Acupuncture & Family Wellness, we have worked with a large variety of issues causing pain – including muscle, fascia, joint, bone, tendon, nerve damage or impingement, and even scar tissue. Because every single person who walks through our door has a unique way of manifesting his or her injury and pain, our treatments are tailored to many factors: Your pain tolerance along with the nature and severity of injury. The extent of the tendon, muscle and fascia connective tissue involvement, The presence of scar...