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East Norwich Acupuncture - March Newsletter

31/3/2015

Wow, is the end of March already!!

Heres what's been going on this month;
2-8th March – Was Acupuncture Awareness Week a chance to highlight how acupuncture may be able to help with something you’ve been struggling with for a long time, in my blogs and FB page.

Fantastic news to announce this month is that I now stock Emily Soothers . These amazing balms and soap have been specially formulated to help with dry, chapped, irritated skin and have been found to work especially well in caring for eczema , nappy rash, dry cracked heels and all sorted of mysterious red itchy rashes! These have been selling like hot cakes and I have already sold out of the Emily Baby Soother twice!
Here’s the link to the owners website http://www.emilyskinsoothers.com/index.html where you can read some amazing testimonials with before and after pictures. Contact me if you would like to purchase anything or have a chat about which product might be best for you.

So 17th March was St Patrick’s Day, did anyone have any of the black stuff? My husband is Irish but he’s actually not a big fan, though he forced himself to have one (or was it two!) It was a fairly quite one though as we didn’t meet up with all the clan this year, but plenty to celebrate later on in the month when Ireland won the Six Nations!

Really looking forward to Jenna’s big completion on Sunday 27th March at Blackwater Farm. It’s the Great Witchingham International BE Horse Trials , last year she won the BE90 so she’s back to defend her title! It will be our first official outing as her sponsor so super excited, though I don’t want to put any more pressure on her than she does herself! I am so impressed with how hard she works and how dedicated she is.

This months FB Posts - http://on.fb.me/1zR200K
Sleep & Stress
Back Pain
Emily Soothers

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Yin & Yang...what's that all about then?

18/3/2015

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Yin & Yang are not actual things in the physical sense, the terms are used to describe the personality or characteristic of something. They are used to illustrate opposite and sometimes opposing forces. They also signify balance, as you cannot have one without the other.
Here are some examples that may make is easier to understand;
Yin: Moon, Female, Water, Passive, Shade
Yang: Sun, Male, Fire, Aggressive, Sunlight

This concept can then be expanded further by adding that they are interdependent, that is they cannot exist without each other. We cannot have night without day, so as night becomes day, there is Yin within Yang!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine we use Yin and Yang as a way of describing energy, emotions and functions which make our bodies and minds tick. Keeping a balance of Yin & Yang within our energy systems is the key to health.

There are four conditions of imbalance;
Excess of Yin
Excess of Yang
Deficiency of Yin
Deficiency of Yang

A good example is something we see quite often, Kidney Yin Deficiency, the symptoms of this condition can be dizziness, vertigo, weak lower back, weak knee joints, dry skin and night sweats etc. So in this case we use acupuncture to address this imbalance by replenishing the deficient Yin energy.

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East Norwich Acupuncture - February Newsletter

15/3/2015

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Here's what been happening this month at EAST Norwich Acupuncture
I've had a great start to the year with my open day in January attracting lots of interest and of course all the wonderful support I received from my friends and family.

Now in February things are really starting to get exciting.

I attended a Mind, Body and Soul Event in Poringland, on Feb 15th, it was a great day and that's where I met some of you lovely people :-) I hope you enjoyed the event too and that our discussions were helpful, I know some of you have already booked sessions with me so I'm really looking forward to seeing you again.

This month I am so happy to announce my Company Sponsorship of a talented young event rider Jenna Johnson. It will be lovely to support her in upcoming British Eventing season and hopefully see her build on her success of last year with her gorgeous horse Double O Bling. This gives me an opportunity for me to reach out to horse owners and riders who are suffering with a number of restricting conditions. I recently conducted a survey of which 76% of riders had an injury of 2 years old!! I will publish the results in the next Newsletter.

Also this month you will now be able to book an evening appointment. Not everyone can a make a Saturday so I've arranged with Oasis Sports & Leisure Club to use my treatment room in the evenings too! Just let me know a bit in advance so I can arrange things.

Jenna Johnson and her gorgeous horse Double O Bling.
It will be exciting to join her hugely supportive team and I will be updating you regularly with our adventures

So if you cant make Saturday, for any reason, you can now book an evening appointment. Please give 48 hrs notice though.

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My 5 Favourite Acupuncture Points

4/3/2015

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Really difficult to choose just 5, but I gave it a go! Some I luv cos I like to needle them, some because of the amazing actions they have and the results I get.

1. First up is Large Intestine 4 (on the hand)
This is one of the most powerful points on the body and probably the most commonly used. Great for any pain or discomfort of the head, inc. ear, nose and throat problems.

It can also be paired with other points to have an even more powerful effect, this is the one we use (along with SP6) to bring on labour when the baby is overdue!

Used with LIV3 it improves the circulation of Qi and Blood, so used for many conditions where stagnation and pain are involved. Its a great relaxation point too.

2. Spleen 6 (on the lower leg)
The Chinese name for this point SanYinJiao, is translated as Three Yin Crossing, this is because at this point 3 of the major Yin channels in the body cross over each other. Yin channels are important for maintaining many of the key functions in our bodies.

This therefore makes SP6 a very powerful and useful point when we are treating someone who needs strengthening.

It can be used for many menstrual conditions, insomnia, dizziness, tinnitus and other Yin deficiency related conditions. The Spleen channel is paired with the Stomach channel so we also use this point for digestive and absorption related conditions. The Spleen rules the Muscles so we use as a support point when treating many muscular skeletal problems. An all round top point!

3. Liver 3 (on top of the foot)
This powerful point helps calm the Liver, clear heat, reduce inflammation and importantly gets things moving, its Chinese name is translated as Great Rushing.

Used with LI4, on both hands and feet, these points together are known as the Four Gates. They are used to move Qi and Blood when there is stagnation, pain or injury. Its uses are basically endless!!

4. Bladder 23 (on the Lower Back)
This point is the most important point when treating lower back pain, though strictly speaking its 4 points as it works best as part of a formula, with BL24, BL52 and GV4. What we find is that many people with lower back pain have what we call, Kidney Yin Deficiency. By using this formula we can strengthen this system and this has amazing effect on back pain, with most people finding significant relief after only a few treatments.

5. YinTang (between the eyebrows)
Last but certainly not least is YinTang. This point is actually what is called an extra point, that is its not classed as being part of the 12 main meridians on the body, though uniquely amongst extra points it does actually lie on a the Governing Vessel meridian!!

Perhaps I should have mentioned this one first, as I often needle this first during a treatment, as it has a significant calming effect. It’s great to use for any stress or anxiety related conditions. It’s great for what’s known as ‘monkey mind’ when you just can’t stop those chattering monkeys in your head!

Call me on 07794 844196 to see if any of these points can help you

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Acupuncture for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMJ

3/3/2015

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What's this then?
Pain and/or reduced movement in the major temporomandibular joint. This is located by the ear and joins the mandibular (jaw bone) to the skull. You can easily be feel it when you clench your teeth together and the muscle bulges out slightly.

The causes of TMJ are not clearly known, but there are a number of factors that can contribute;
*   Oversensitivity of the jaw muscles, this is most associated with jaw clenching at night which can be due to stress and anxiety
*   Increased sensitivity to pain (its not known why this happens!)
*   Wear and tear to the joint, which could be caused by arthritis, either rheumatoid or osteoarthritis
*   Injury or blow to the jaw
*   Misaligned jaw or dental problems

Common Treatments;
*   Resting, gentle massage and the use of bite guards used at night can help to relieve the cycle of oversensitive muscles
*   Anti-inflammatory painkillers
*   Physiotherapy – the correct exercises and use of ultrasound can be helpful
*   Steroid Injections or surgery as a last resort could be offered in severe cases

Please note it is important to visit your dental professional to ensure there are no contributory physical factors with your jaw or teeth.

What’s the alternative?
First up, acupuncture doesn’t claim to treat certain conditions, we do not diagnose or cure!
But what we can do is look at ALL of the factors in your life and the resulting symptoms that may be contributing to a particular condition. This way acupuncture gets to the root cause and we are able to offer relief.

In Chinese Medicine the body is seen very differently, and the systems within it are credited with different attributes and functions to those in Western Medicine. The focus is on the balance and harmony of these systems. Where we have imbalance we have ‘dis-ease’. Acupuncture looks to balance those areas to bring relief from pain and discomfort.

In the case of TMJ there are several patterns which can possibly contribute to imbalance, these include mainly Qi and/or Blood deficiencies in the Liver, Spleen and Kidney systems*

The Liver stores the Blood and rules the Tendons, the Spleen dominates the limbs and rules the Muscles and the Kidneys rule the Bones. When there are deficiencies in one or more of these systems symptoms can occur.

Emotions play a huge part in the pathology of many conditions both in Western and Eastern medicine. Over-worrying and stress can cause excess in the Liver, resulting in irritability and anger. Excessive brooding, worrying and concentrating, weakens the Spleen. Fear and anxiety depletes the Kidneys and can also lead to insomnia, tinnitus lower back pain etc

Acupuncture can balance out these deficiencies and excesses, to give relief to a condition which can become chronic and difficult to treat with Western medicine.

Call me today on 07794 84496 to find out if acupuncture can help you.
It’s worth try, isn’t it?

*Don’t forget Chinese Medicine talks differently about the Organs and their functions, I am not implying that you have any physical abnormalities with these organs

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East Norwich Acupuncture - March Newsletter

Yin & Yang...what's that all about then?

East Norwich Acupuncture - February Newsletter

My 5 Favourite Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMJ

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