How I Work

I have noticed lately that people are a lot like onions. To get to some of the good stuff sometimes there can be tears. But if you cut through the outer layer, there can be so much sweetness, and a lot of flavor can be added to your life. With onions, you can caramelize them, marinate with them, use them raw, and they  mix easily with a lot of other vegetables.   It might sound silly, but like onions we have many layers and ways of experiencing life and getting to those different areas demand different techniques. My integration of tui na (Chinese medical massage), craniosacral therapy, acupuncture, and herbs accesses these different layers, to help you enjoy your life more, with a minimum of tears.

A typical treatment in my office will combine tui na, craniosacral therapy and acupuncture and Chinese herbs.   Integrating these strategies helps to peel back the layers of pain and discomfort to get you back to yourself. I want you to feel better when you walk out the door. I’ve successfully treated headaches, back pain, colds, digestive upset and emotional upset in one treatment. I like it that way and you do too I’m sure! But of course it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes there are more layers of the onion to peel back. So further treatments may be necessary. For chronic problems I might suggest that you do some work on your own — with qi gong (Chinese energy exercises), self massage, eating right and meditation. I have an entire section on my website devoted to giving you the tools you need under the “Self Care” section. But let me tell you now about some of the techniques I use regularly in my practice.

Let’s first look at Acupuncture, which dates back thousands of years, and is the oldest continuously practiced professional medicine. It is evidence-based medicine, which is continuously changing and transforming in response to the needs of contemporary life. It consists of the gentle insertion of very thin needles into specific acupuncture points or problem areas. The results of acupuncture can be very subtle or it can be strong, immediate and dramatic. Acupuncture has many physiological effects on the body. It increases circulation and causes the release of many neurotransmitters and neurohormones, some of which are endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural pain-killing hormones and are able to produce a sense of well-being. Acupuncture relieves muscle spasms and stimulates nerves. It also stimulates the body’s immune systems. I’ll generally do acupuncture after  I have worked on the outer “husk” of your body with tui na so that I have a clear idea of particular areas that need further treatment.   I also work to unify the entire fabric of the body by treating the meridian or channel system.   Placing a needle immediately releases endorphins, creating that sense of well-being, while simultaneously treating areas of pain or dysfunction. This combination sends a powerful message to the body and mind.

And what about Dry Needling? This is the strong needling of trigger points in muscles to elicit a contraction and release tight muscles.   Dry needling is an acupuncture technique — one of many! It is appropriate in specific situations.   Unfortunately, physical therapists have gained the right to use dry needling in their practice. They have limited training (only 47 hours) and use this technique in situations that are not appropriate.  Acupuncturists train for years to learn how to use needles safely and effectively. Acupuncturists who treat pain and practice “sports medicine” are almost always familiar with this technique. 

With Tui na, Chinese medical massage, I work with the outer layer of your body. Is your body tough and stiff or soft and mushy? Using different techniques, including massage, cupping and gua sha (a gentle scraping technique), I push out the old metabolic waste clogging up your muscles to improve their vitality. I gently stretch and extend tight tendons and ligaments to allow your skeleton to align naturally. The nervous system is calmed, the lymphatic system invigorated and the endocrine system gently stimulated and balanced. After tui na, the more subtle treatments, craniosacral therapy and acupuncture, can work their wonders.

I use craniosacral therapy, both to diagnose and to treat. Listening to the deep rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid as it moves from bathing and protecting the brain, down the length of the spine and back again I can get a sense of parts of your body that are not in alignment. All the fluid systems of the body and all the functions of the body can be felt as they move in relationship to this cerebrospinal fluid. Craniosacral therapy is also a very effective way to feel and improve the workings of the internal organs. When the cranial rhythm is healthy there is a deep sense of well-being.   It is an ideal adjunct to the practice of acupuncture.

Chinese herbal medicine has been used in clinics and has been studied and written about for more than 2000 years. It is a way of healing the body from the inside out. Herbs are like super foods, with particular characteristics to treat specific ailments. Western pharmaceutical companies have isolated the properties of some of these herbs and made them into very powerful drugs.  But the strategy in Chinese medicine is quite different. We gather diverse herbs into a single formula to address the various aspects of the entire disease process. This approach is designed to be comprehensive, and importantly, to mitigate side effects. In conventional Western medicine the side effects of a drug are either unhappily endured or another drug is prescribed.  And often these drugs cause another set of side effects! With Chinese herbal medicine, side effects are prevented by the complementary combining of herbs.

The taste and aroma of the tea is very important aspect of the herbs. The aroma immediately stimulates the olfactory nerve, which is part of the limbic system in the brain. The limbic system supports many functions including  emotions, behavior, motivations, memory as well as olfaction. Aroma stimulates directly this old part of the brain which, it has been hypothesized, manages fight or flight circuitry. So the aroma and taste of the herbs can immediately begin to modulate the stress response, relaxing or toning the entire nervous system.   

All the herbs and pills in my clinic are of the highest quality. All my suppliers maintain strict oversight of the farming and preparation of the herbs and formulas. They work diligently to ensure the safety and efficacy of their herbs. I am confident of their high quality. 

Just like an onion, the image of your health is many layered.   And these different layers  require distinct, but integrated approaches. With a practice combining acupuncture, tui na, craniosacral therapy and herbs I can help you where and how you need help. And that means less pain and more joy. It’s possible! Come and try it!