Reframing : Are the symptoms all in your head?
I just wanted to send out a PSA that if you are worried that your symptoms are "just in your head" please remember that your head is a part of your body! "Just in your head" symptoms are important to pay attention to and don't let anyone, including yourself, discredit your intuition on how you feel. With that being said, please avoid WebMD 😉
Inflammation is not always a bad thing!
Inflammation is not always a bad thing 🔥
There’s a lot of talk about how to lower and suppress inflammation whether it's from an acute injury or from chronic disease like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammation is your body's natural healing response and is designed to send the B and T cells via blood to repair damaged tissue. Chronic inflammation is not great, but we can harness this energy with acupuncture and herbs to treat the disease, reduce the unnecessary inflammation, and use it to support areas of the body that are deficient. 💪🏼
Acupuncture uses a balancing system by moving the "heat" from an area of concentration. This "heat" may need to be moved to another part of the body to support its energy or it may need to be cleared all together.
Your tongue 👅 and pulse💓 are like built in MRI machines and provide important lab results for us to use!
Intuitive Eating
This book has been coming up again and a lot in my clinic lately. I just can't recommend it enough! "Make Peace with Food, Free Yourself from Chronic Dieting Forever, Rediscover the Pleasures of Eating"...that really says it all! Maybe "food" isn't your area of guilt, but the concepts in this book can translate to whatever feels like a weakness to you. Highly, highly recommended! 💝
Learn more + get this book here: https://www.intuitiveeating.org/our-books/
#rootandstem #functionalmedicine #easternmedicine #acupuncture #acupunctureworks #labanalysis #eastmeetswest #labwork #topratedacupuncture #womenshealth #chineseherbs #herbalmedicine #6weekstoglow #health #wellness #eatwell #feelbetter #naturalglow #healthtips #bestofoakland #intuitiveeating #peace
Your Health + Cannabis/Hemp
The medicinal benefits of Cannabis and hemp is quickly finding it's way into the mainstream these days which is great for a variety of health benefits! Cannabis use in Eastern Herbal Medicine goes back thousands of years. Here are some of the medical uses of Hua Ma Ren (the name for hemp seed in Chinese pinyin):
pain relief, chronic constipation, severe spasms and convulsions, gout, insomnia, headache, menstrual irregularities, itching, anemia, dry cough, just to name a few! My current favorite topical for my aches and pains: @liquidflower 🍃 I swear by this stuff!
#rootandstem #cbd #cannabis #medicinal #painrelief #cannabistopicals #plantsnotpills #functionalmedicine #easternmedicine #acupuncture #acupunctureworks #labanalysis #eastmeetswest #labwork #topratedacupuncture #womenshealth #chineseherbs #herbalmedicine #health #wellness #eatwell #feelbetter #naturalglow #healthtips #bestofoakland
Red Cabbage + Your Health
I'm very proud of our first cabbage harvest! ☀️ This is the first year we've grown cabbage and it did not disappoint! Not only is cabbage a fave for many of my summertime recipes, but I'm definitely going to turn this baby into some juicy kraut! So please prepare yourself for spamming of kraut updates as the process continues. Oh and did I mention the amazing health benefits of the glorious purple cabbage?
💜 Packed with nutrients! Vit B6 and Folate to help with energy metabolism; Antioxidants and Vit C to fight free radicals; The rich deep color of this vegetable is due to a high concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols (strong dietary antioxidants, possessing anti-inflammatory properties).
💜Red cabbage contains powerful compounds called anthocyanins. In a study including 93,600 women, researchers found that those with a higher intake of anthocyanin-rich foods had a much lower risk of a heart attack.
💜High in Potassium which helps excrete excess sodium through urine. It also relaxes blood vessel walls, which lowers blood pressure.
💜Cabbage and other brassicas help your liver flush toxins and in Chinese Medicine the Liver LOVES the sour taste which makes sauerkraut a perfect side dish on your BBQ plate!
⭐️☀️🌻
#rootandstem #functionalmedicine #easternmedicine #acupuncture #acupunctureworks #labanalysis #foodasmedicine #harvest #summertime #food #garden #grow #eastmeetswest #labwork #topratedacupuncture #womenshealth #chineseherbs #herbalmedicine #6weekstoglow #health #wellness #eatwell #feelbetter #naturalglow #healthtips #bestofoakland
We <3 These Facial Acupuncture Products!
I'm so excited to interrupt my social media vacation hiatus by announcing our new Facial Rejuvenation products! 🌟 We are now featuring @pinklightbotanicals 🌸 in our Grand Avenue location! Our July special is still up and running, adding an additional 10% off of all Facial Rejuvenation packages. 🌞 There are a few slots available with Marya so ping us if you have any questions! Direct book under “appointments” ↖️
"THE BEAUTY:
At Pink Light, beauty is synonymous with health and it’s our intention to endow the skin with both, naturally, from the inside-out. Each herbal luxury is 100% natural and handcrafted with the highest quality organic botanicals, essential oils and specific ingredients that nourish and support the skin’s own reparative, youth-giving abilities.
THE MAGIC:
A special touch of magic comes from a careful alchemy of healing gemstones and aromatic flower essences infused into each skin elixir. See each product page for descriptions of each essence used.
THE GLOW:
We use high quality ingredients to nourish the skin and provide excellent results."
Why Get Community Acupuncture?
I just love this description about #communityacupuncture from the POCA (Peoples Organization of Community Acupuncture) website.
"Community Acupuncture is not just a description of acupuncture in a group setting, but also describes who is served by acupuncture: our communities. Community Acupuncture is not a one-way relationship of acupuncturists to their communities but the relationship of communities to acupuncture, the clinic, practitioners, and other staff. Community Acupuncture represents the connection and the contract between Acupuncture and Communities. A community acupuncture clinic is committed to keeping its doors open during hours that the community needs and it receives the presence of those who come. The community gives its endorsement of acupuncture’s effectiveness, to the affordable sliding scale, to the comfort and accessibility of a community acupuncture clinic, and it receives a reliable resource to maintain or improve the health of its members."
Check out our fabulous Brooke McClelland at our @shopharborside location on Embarcadero! 🌈
Pelvic Floor Therapy!
I really want to give a big shout out to Pelvic Floor Therapy. If you haven't tried it, I can't recommend it enough! Pelvic floor physical therapy involves pelvic massage, biofeedback and exercises to encourage relaxation and strengthening of the muscles of the lower pelvis. A physical therapist will use a massage-like technique called myofascial release to help stretch and release the connective tissue between the skin and the muscles and bones in your pelvic region.
Pelvic floor physical therapy can help address sexual problems by improving chronic vaginal or pelvic pain and urinary incontinence. Typically several months of pelvic floor physical therapy are needed to achieve satisfactory results. While we don't practice this in our office, we all have some incredible referrals that we will gladly share. 💪🏾🙏🏼🌸
#rootandstem #functionalmedicine #easternmedicine #acupuncture #acupunctureworks #pelvicfloortherapy #pt
#massage #support #labanalysis #eastmeetswest #labwork #topratedacupuncture #womenshealth #chineseherbs #herbalmedicine #6weekstoglow #health #wellness #eatwell #feelbetter #naturalglow #healthtips #bestofoakland
Arthritis, Inflammation + Acupuncture
Arthritis hurts‼️It can be a real challenge to find relief from joint pain especially when you want to continue to have a healthy and active life. Osteoarthitis is the most common type of arthritis, and occurs when the cartilage between the joints breaks down, typically effecting the hips, hands, knees, low back, or neck. I have #arthritis in my fingers ✌🏽and it can get really bad when my body is out of balance. I can feel the inflammation increasing when I'm eating less clean and over working my body and mind.
Rheumatoid arthitis is another common type and has the added symptoms of fatigue, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, and weakness. 😱Not fun at all!
Most conventional treatment options focus on relieving pain with anti-inflammatory drugs. While this may help temporarily relieve the pain, it is certainly not heating or actually treating the pain. What's worse is that when the pain is masked, we continue to use injured joints when that pain mechanism is our alarm to stop! 🚫
We have to go deep to get to the root cause. Both #easternmedicine and #functionalmedicine aim to find the underlying issue behind the inflammation. While it isn't a #quickfix to treat this way, it is key to healing that damaged tissue. We can look at how your body is digesting and absorbing nutrients, if there are irritants fueling the inflammation fire, or energetic imbalances that block you bodies ability to function correctly. By working closely with your acupuncturist you will be taking charge of your arthritis and taking a stop toward a healthier life! 🙏🏼
Dandelion Herbal Spotlight
Dandelion herbal spotlight! ☀️Pu Gong Yin is the pinyin name for the dandelion herb that we use a ton in Chinese herbal formulas. Dandelion is truly one of my faves and we use the whole plant (dried and/or fresh) to treat and support the Liver. Dandelion is great for expelling heat and clearing fire toxicity, which can commonly manifest as clogged milk ducts, hepatitis, jaundice, sore throat, and even lung abscesses. This also is such a great herb for treating overall inflammation. Since gluten sometimes makes me feel a little inflamed after I eat it, I love to add the fresh dandelion leaves to pasta sauce for a little pasta digestion support. 🌾☀️🌱
Summer Special - Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture starts July 1st!
🌞Summer Special 📍 💥Starting July 1st take an additional 10% off our Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture 6 or 12 pack💥 💆🏾♀️💆🏼♀️💆🏻♀️
Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is a non-surgical method of reducing the signs of the aging process and is suitable for those with deep wrinkles, fine lines, bags under the eyes, sagging, puffiness, drooping eyelids, double chin, large pores, dry skin or acne.
A study in 1996 in the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture reported that 90% of the 300 cases treated with Cosmetic Acupuncture had marked effects including the leveling of wrinkles, improved facial muscle elasticity and overall rejuvenation.
✔️Email us info@oaklandrootandstem.com to get started and learn more here.
Menopause is natural! So why is it treated like a disease?
Menopause is a naturally occurring process, so why is it treated like a disease??? ‼️⚠️‼️ 💉💊Conventional medical treatments only address various symptoms and signs associated with menopause, however, symptoms and signs are just one factor of the whole picture. 🔆 📍📚 Both acupuncture and Functional Medicine understand that symptoms are merely indications of an imbalance deep within the body, and this time of change occurs because the body chemistry is shifting. . .
Chemistry change is a natural process, and there are so many ways that acupuncture and Functional medicine can look deeper to help this change be as smooth as possible. Estrogen is similar to what we call Jing Qi. Jing Qi is like the battery that provides us with all the life energy we need to power all our functions. As we age, our Jing Qi slowly decreases. 📉During menopause, our Jing Qi is often declining a bit faster and this can cause our organ systems to get out of balance. Left untreated, the imbalances get more severe and symptoms like hot flashes/night sweats get worse. 😨
When we get acupuncture and have our labs analyzed by a Functional Medicine doc, we can see the underlying imbalance and support the bodies ability to make hormones, instead of suppressing it with hormones! 💡Over working, poor dietary habits, energetic imbalances and blockages will increase the decline of Jing Qi. Treatment to support the healing energies of Jing, provide the body with the building blocks it needs in order to nourish, heal, and regain balance. 🌀
Summer Celery Juice Cleanse Recipe
Enjoy this special celery juice recipe (from the amazing @brookie.mackie) to stay cool and also cleanse your body this summer! 😎 🌞It's so important to remember that as the daylight hours and temperatures increase getting hydration from our foods --- as well as from drinking plenty of water is important for our health this season.
The Celery Juice Cleanse 🌱
Have you heard about drinking celery juice for health? It’s all the rage right now and has been promoted by the Medical Medium for its many health benefits such as cleansing the liver of toxins and viruses like Epstein-Barr and Shingles, combatting chronic acid reflux, reversing auto-immune diseases, and recovering from SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth). While these are undoubtedly amazing healing effects from a humble bunch of celery, if you plan on joining the ranks of juice guzzlers, consult your acupuncturist first! Most of us in the modern Western world need some liver detoxification due to stress, alcohol, caffeine and processed food consumption along with exposure to environmental toxins. However, you should make sure your digestion is strong and not affected by Cold or Damp pathogens, as we would say in Chinese Medicine. If your Spleen or Stomach tend to have deficiency, cold, or damp, celery juice, which has a cooling effect on the GI, could worsen the problem, leaving you a bit too “cleansed“, if you get my drift!
If you get the okay from your practitioner that it could be helpful for you, consider adding this amazing vegetable-herb-medicine to your morning health routine!
You’ll need a juicer and plenty of fresh celery! I drank 16 ounces each morning and waited 30 minutes before consuming any other food. If you include the leaves, it is beneficial, but makes the juice more bitter. Enjoy cooling and cleansing this summer, and pay attention to how you feel to make sure it’s a good medicine for you!
Hydrate Through Foods + Liquids this Summer!
Hope you all had a great Summer Solstice last weekend! 🌞
・・・
Not that you need a reminder ... don’t forget to
REPLENISH 💚
Through both hydrating foods and drinks of course. Doesn’t this cucumber water look yummy?! 🥒
{lil vid + tip courtesy of Lyssandra Guerra of Native Palms Nutrition.}
Acupuncture for Men's Health + Fertility
Did you know? Male health and fertility is a common reason men seek out acupuncture? 📍🤦🏾♂️🤦🏼♂️
**4 male disorders that can benefit from acupuncture treatment are : **
✔️Male subfertility: acupuncture helps increase sperm count, motility, hormone balance, and structural issues like varicoceles.
✔️Erectile dysfunction: Acupuncture and Chinese medicine offers a wide variety of treatments to reverse erection issues, increase stamina, and libido.
✔️BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy is a common reason men seek out support with acupuncture.
✔️Chronic pelvic pain syndrome--which is more common in males than reported! Pelvic pain symptoms affect up to 50% of men in their lifetime, and can easily be treated with acupuncture!
Dr. Parker's Book Recommendation : Cystitis
I’m really enjoying my office vibes today! 🌞📚 Also two thumbs up for this book. 👍👍Have any of you read it before? 💗
It’s so illuminating and authored by a leading uro-gynecologist Dr Larrian Gillespie who is one of the only female urologists with expertise in pelvic pain.
Food, Lifestyle + Getting to the Root Cause of Diabetes
Something that really stuck out to me during my time as an acupuncture resident at Highland Hospital in 2016 was the conventional treatment of Type II Diabetes. 💉💊
I saw so many well-meaning docs and residents discussing pharmaceutical treatments with absolutely zero mention of food or lifestyle changes. 🤷🏻♀️ There are so many challenges in our health care system that make this a difficult reality for our conventional docs, but food as medicine should not be considered an “alternative” course of treatment for any issue. 🥗🍋🥒
Diabetes, according to Eastern and Functional Medicine, goes beyond a simple diagnosis of Type I or Type II. We call diabetes “Xiao Ke” or “Wasting and Thirsting disease”, and there are approximately 7 patterns that can cause this issue. 👣💭Since diabetes has an impact on every part of your body, it is important to try a therapy that takes a holistic approach to health. 📍
Acupuncture, along with other holistic health choices and lifestyle changes, can be highly effective, sometimes even making medications unnecessary. Really getting to the root cause of any issue will take time and effort, and changes that may seem hard at first!
➡️The best approach to controlling your diabetes is to work with a team of health care providers who can address the many aspects of diabetes.
Try Children's Pediatric Massage to promote healthy digestion!
Try Children’s Pediatric Massage to Promote Healthy digestion 👶🖐
📍
Typically points are stimulated 100 times quickly and lightly with a little oil.
1. 🐠“Big Fish”: stimulate this point with a circular movement, typically done with thumb. This point helps with general digestion.
2. 🍲Spleen/Stomach: apply pressure back and forth here for stomach aches and poor appetite.
3. 😒Large Intestines: Pressing towards child’s body for chronic diarrhea or constipation, away for an acute condition.
4. 😨Liver: pressing away from child’s body for digestion problems due to an emotional upset
5. 😴Heart: massage this point for digestive issues that are worse at night or cause insomnia.
6. 💨Lung: massage for combined asthma and constipation issues
7. 🦠Kidney: massage for congenital or autoimmune digestion issues
Healthy, organic food should NOT be a luxury!
When talking about going organic it can certainly spark some money triggers. Healthy, organic food should not be a luxury! Unfortunately, this is a huge socio-economic issue and when you go to the store, we all see the price difference between conventional and organic food. BUT there are so many ways to make it affordable by finding the right places to shop and deals to be had. I can’t stress the importance of an organic diet enough and the studies show...the less toxic junk you have in your diet now the better you will be in the long run. The more and more we recognize how much the chemicals in our food are the cause of issues like all kinds of autoimmune disease, digestive disorders, depression and mental health, chronic pain (this list could go on forever) the more the industry will have to adjust and go clean. You already know how much I love Grocery Outlet ;) and here is a list of other ways to go organic that is financially realistic:
Join a CSA! Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs are amazing ways to not only get organic foods, veggies, and meats, but they bypass the markets so you deal with the farms and farmers directly. Definitely saving $$ and supporting your local farmers! @edibleeastbay has a great link to a list of amazing CSAs in the Bay. https://edibleeastbay.com/csa-guide/
Check out your local Farmer’s Market! Localharvest.org will help connect you to all your nearest Farmer’s Markets
Berkeley Bowl, Farmer Joe’s, Trader Joe’s, and Whole foods all have huge selections of organic foods that are competitive and won’t break the bank.
+++ Check out these links to coupons :
https://allnaturalsavings.comOnline grocery deliveries offer amazing organic deals on items, and/or whole meal plans: @thrivemarket @greenchef
Spotlight on Marya Vohryzek
We’re shining the light on practitioner Marya Vohryzek @rootandstem 💗
Marya specializes in working with people during chemotherapy and radiation. + Those who use acupuncture often say that it helps them feel relaxed and improves their overall sense of wellbeing. ✨ 📍
No matter what the diagnosis, acupuncture can help increase the quality of life for any individual, and find a sense of calm and peace during what can be a very stressful and painful process. The main areas of research show promising results for relieving symptoms of cancer and the side effects of chemo, such as nausea, insomnia, hot flashes, lymphedema, body aches, joint pain, depression, neuralgia, skin pain, and burns.
#acupunctureworks #acupuncture #acupunctureforpain #acupunctureforcancer #functionalmedicine #wellbeing #oaklandproud #rootandstem #cancersupport #chemotherapy #radiation #feelbetter