The recent article by NPR, Flattening The 'Mummy Tummy' With 1 Exercise, 10 Minutes A Day, starts off with a sensational, grabbing title. A click bait title that we wouldn't expect from a trusted news source like NPR. But it certainly got your attention, especially if you recently had a baby and now are feeling a little weak around the core. And since this is NPR this should be safer than something random you pull off the internet, right? Well, yes and no.
With addiction, deep fractures are drawn between our mind and our body, our needs and our habits, our emotions and our actions, and in the relationships that we have to ourselves and to others. Yoga, on the other hand, is connection.
It's a great time to pay attention to how stress is affecting you. Common stressors include work, family, money, children, illness and more. Stress can impact both your body and your mind causing symptoms such as muscular pain, irritability, fatigue, and headaches. Here's how we can help...
According to CDC data, 32% of women delivering a baby did so via C-section in 2015. Some of these are elective (planned) & others unplanned or emergent. If you are one of the 32%, what can you expect following a C-section?
Do you feel like your insurance coverage gets more confusing each year? That’s probably because it does! It seems like each year there is another rule or exception to your plan but the cost keeps going up. Here at Jade, we are often asked, “how much will this cost?” The answer isn’t as easy at it seems.
In Chinese Medicine, we compare the digestive system to a pot of boiling water that needs to cook any food or drink we ingest before transporting the nutrients to our cells or transforming it to waste. If we’re consistently eating cold or raw food, especially during the winter months, this weakens the digestive fire’s ability to cook the food before transforming and transporting it.
Once upon a time, when John graduated from Eastern Medical School, we moved to Maine. Back in 2001, acupuncturists were rarely hired into positions, but most expected to open their own practices. We opened Jade April 1, 2001 on 195 Congress St on Munjoy Hill. John started working full time to build an acupuncture practice in our 600 square foot, 3 treatment room office. We had a small waiting area and office with an herbal pharmacy. At the time, our rent was $750/month and we had no idea if there would be patients to support our practice.
Currently, as the end of Summer approaches, many of us will be pulled in many more directions as our various duties and responsibilities return. Acupuncturists view this time of year and name it "Duo Yuo", a time of change generally moving from one season to another. Greater amounts of opportunity are available during times of transition. It is important to clarify parts of life that add vital energy, and the aspects that deplete the best parts of our mind, spirit or body. Simply put, what adds to your bucket and what aspect of life drains from your bucket and, are they in balance?
The movement system is a physiological body system in which the Physical Therapist is the specialist. It’s viewed as any other bodily system (like the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, etc…) and treatment involves movement!
A basic tenet of the movement system is that our repeated movements and sustained postures influence our musculoskeletal system and shape our relative stiffness and strength.
What is an example of a movement impairment?
One commonly seen example of movement impairment is shown above. All of us sit down and stand up several times daily, which is in essence, a functional squat. Generally, the photo shown on the left is a more optimal alignment/movement pattern. This person likely has more balanced strength & flexibility than the person on the right.
If the person on the right is also having pain moving between sit to stand (and other similar functional movements), then this movement should be directly addressed and become part of a PT treatment.
In keeping with the example above, we may also see this same individual habitually sit in a position similar to the picture shown below. This would be an example of the influence of static postures on the movement system. As this photo is somewhat of an exaggerated position, it’s easy to see how sitting this way for long stretches of time would contribute to further muscle imbalances.
PT treatment for this individual would include education on improved seated positioning, plus retraining of the functional squat or sit-to-stand pattern to minimize stress on the painful structures. This helps to reduce pain short term and hopefully form a more optimal movement pattern to prevent return of symptoms in the future. Treatment would also address deficits in mobility (joint or soft tissue) and neuromuscular control that are contributing factors to pain.
The above example shows suboptimal alignment; however a comprehensive evaluation helps to determine what an individual’s optimal movement pattern should be, tailored to them. For some individuals, the first picture shown of the squat motion (on the left) may not be ideal due to structural issues like tibial torsion or femoral version.
The best way to know what could be contributing to your pain is to seek care with a Physical Therapist that will take time to evaluate you and look at your daily movements and positions. Although the onset of pain might be sudden, unless there is a traumatic event that caused the injury/pain, it’s likely the result of stress over time relating to how we move.
Photos Sources:
https://thecharlotteathlete.com/top-5-reasons-knee-valgus-is-bad-for-you-and-1-reason-why-its-not/
https://www.triathlete.com/training/injury-prevention/triathletes-complete-guide-to-hip-mobility/
Summer is less than a month away marked by the Summer Solstice that follows a full moon. That is by far the happiest sentence I’ve written so far this year. Summer is the time of year where temperature, culture, traditions and we as individuals exhibit the most Yang type activities in the most Yang of environments.
Raise your hand if you’re prone to a sniffly, congested nose or red, itchy eyes when the trees start budding every Spring. It may be helpful to know you’re not alone. In the United States, over 60 million people suffer from allergic rhinitis and 30% of the population has experienced allergic conjunctivitis due to pollen exposure. These numbers have been steadily increasing as the world undergoes a change in climate patterns, consequentially making an impact on pollen production. Couple this with the recent discovery that most OTC decongestants don’t really work, and you have quite a large problem needing a solution.
Taking a deep breath simply means inhaling by filling your lungs to capacity, and letting your diaphragm contract. On a day to day basis, deep breathing can be used as a tool for a variety of ailments such as reducing stress levels, stabilizing blood pressure, increasing lung strength, and improving oxygen levels throughout the body. Deep breathing methods have been created to undergo fantastic feats and might even be a contributing factor towards curing diseases.
The dark, cozy nights are upon us and warm, sensuous foods are officially in season — and necessary! Try this Thai-inspired coconut, chicken, and mushroom soup to lift spirits and warm stomachs. This soup is a personal favorite for an easy weeknight meal ready in less than an hour. It toes the line of healthy and indulgent and combines traditional Thai flavors for an effortlessly appealing winter repast. And it can easily be made vegan by omitting the chicken or replacing it with shredded tofu.
In recent years, many studies have concluded the benefits to both mental and physical health by simply recognizing, verbalizing and/or demonstrating gratitude. Positive outcomes from these studies show decreased levels of anxiety and depression, better sleep, stronger relationships (romantic, workplace and familial) and better heart rate variability
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fall is ruled by the Metal element with the primary emotion of Metal being Grief. When I first learned about this connection, it just felt so correct and so in line with my own experiences of life in Autumn. When the trees shed their leaves and cooler temperatures arrive once more, there is just an inherent and collective feeling of Grief in the atmosphere.
It is a big part of Traditional Chinese Medicine to try wherever possible to eat with the seasons. But rushing into raw and cold foods too quickly can result in digestion becoming sluggish, difficult, and downright bothersome. Since the flavor of Spring in Traditional Chinese Medicine is sour, incorporating sour foods into your diet can also be extremely beneficial during this season.
Have you read NBC's latest long Covid report? While it's encouraging to see mention of acupuncture as an option for patients suffering from long Covid, the article itself is somewhat problematic, and even perpetuates a narrow and uninformed stereotype about traditional Chinese medicine.
Read commentary from Jade acupuncturist Elizabeth Yancelson, LAc. as she breaks down some flaws in this report and talks about the real healing that can come from treating long covid with acupuncture.
