Acupuncture Health Insights » Chinese medicine

Winter, Dry Skin, and Chinese Medicine

Lynn Jaffee — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:09:23 +0000

Dear Lynn:

I read your book and understand that the water element is associated with the season of winter. Why is my skin so dry in the winter if that’s the season of water?

Dried Out in Minneapolis

Dear Dried:

That’s such a good question! It may seem odd that winter is the water element, even though it feels really dry, but there’s a good reason. To understand why, we have to look at the nature of Yin and Yang and how they correspond to the world . . . → Read More: Winter, Dry Skin, and Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture for Pain Relief

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:54:27 +0000

As an acupuncturist, I regularly see people in pain; people with arthritis, blown out backs, sprained ankles, sciatica, headaches, and those recovering from surgery. If you’ve ever suffered from a painful condition, you know that your particular pain is unique. It can be dull and achy, sharp and stabbing, throbbing, burning, or it can feel electric. The pain may come and go or be ever-present. It may wake you at night or change with the weather.

What causes pain? There are actually a number . . . → Read More: Acupuncture for Pain Relief

Depression, Bupleurum, and Your Chinese Liver

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:38:31 +0000

In my acupuncture practice, I see a number of people who struggle with emotional symptoms, such as stress, depression, anxiety, or irritability. Jolene* is one of those people. She works long hours at her sales job, takes care of unappreciative ailing parents, and struggles to make ends meet. Essentially, her life is not going how she would like, and it makes her depressed and irritable.

Jolene comes in for acupuncture every couple of weeks, and she feels better for a while. However, the circumstances . . . → Read More: Depression, Bupleurum, and Your Chinese Liver

A Whole Lotta Moxa

Lynn Jaffee — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:31:06 +0000

Many years ago a patient came into my acupuncture clinic and asked me if I had moxie. Huh? I have been described as many things, including intense, impatient, and opinionated, so I guess you could say I have moxie, but why was she asking? After a few minutes of conversation, I realized that she was actually asking about moxa, or moxabustion, a method of warming in Chinese medicine. Close enough.

Moxabustion is an ancient way of applying heat in Chinese medicine, sometimes used independently . . . → Read More: A Whole Lotta Moxa

The Importance of Observation in Chinese Medicine

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:56:58 +0000

We acupuncturists are a voyeuristic group. We’re watching our patients pretty much all of the time, and for a good reason. The diagnostic process in Chinese medicine can be long and detailed, and one of the cornerstones of diagnosis is observation. You see, things like the way you move, the color of your complexion, the light in your eyes, and the texture of your skin all offer clues to the underlying state of your health.

I have found that one of the best times to . . . → Read More: The Importance of Observation in Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine, Your Health, and the Natural World

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:49:04 +0000

A little over a week ago I was in the deepest part of the Grand Canyon wearing a backpack. I spent a week carrying my food, clothes, water, and anything else I needed on my back. After living outdoors for a couple of days, it was surprising how quickly my pals and I got into the rhythm of nature. We went to bed when it was dark and got up when it was light. Our focus became water—finding water in an otherwise dry place. We . . . → Read More: Chinese Medicine, Your Health, and the Natural World

Lump in Your Throat?

Lynn Jaffee — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:56:04 +0000

One of the things I love most about Chinese medicine is the poetic names they have for funky conditions and illnesses. Shingles are called Snake Cinnabar Toxin, cystic zits are Clove Sores, simultaneous vomiting and diarrhea is Sudden Turmoil, and a yeast infection is called Fire in the Valley or Damp Heat in the Lower Burner. One of their most descriptive and poetic names is something called Plum Pit Qi, which is a term to describe the sensation of a chronic lump in your . . . → Read More: Lump in Your Throat?

9000 Needles and More

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:43:47 +0000

A lot has been said about acupuncture lately, but in the movie 9000 Needles, it takes on a supporting role in the compelling and emotional story of Devin Dearth. A father of three, champion body builder, and Southern Baptist from Central City, Kentucky, Dearth’s life is forever changed one day in 2009 when he suffers a stroke while pumping iron at his local gym.

The stroke left Devin with a brain injury that ravaged his body. The toll: paralysis of his right side, inability . . . → Read More: 9000 Needles and More

Skin Game

Lynn Jaffee — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:14:05 +0000

It seems that the older I get, the more concerned I become with skin; not only my own skin, but that of my patients as well. The longer I practice acupuncture, the more apparent it becomes to me that your skin gives off all kinds of clues to the underlying state of your health.

In Chinese medicine, the health and functioning of your skin is governed by your lung organ system. While this seems unlikely at first, your lungs are considered the guardian of . . . → Read More: Skin Game

An Ephedra Story

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:41:11 +0000

Lisa, a fit woman in her early thirties came to my clinic a couple of weeks ago to be treated for anxiety. Her anxiety was out of character, out of control, and punctuated by full-blown panic attacks that landed her in the emergency room on a couple of occasions. Her symptoms ranged from shortness of breath and chest pains, to irregular heartbeats.

Lisa was frantic and afraid. She feared having another panic attack, especially while she was driving. This anxiety was consuming her life, . . . → Read More: An Ephedra Story