Acupuncture Health Insights » Women’s Health

Is Acupuncture Safe During Pregnancy?

Lynn Jaffee — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:57:03 +0000

I remember the first pregnant woman I treated with acupuncture. I was in acupuncture school at the time, and putting in my hours in the teaching clinic. A classmate of mine had become pregnant and had a wicked case of morning sickness. Most of the time she was a rock; she was young, strong, smart, and the person you wanted to work with in class. However, her morning sickness had become all-day sickness, and had turned her into a whimpering mess. With regular acupuncture . . . → Read More: Is Acupuncture Safe During Pregnancy?

Treating Urinary Tract Infections with Chinese Medicine

Lynn Jaffee — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:52:49 +0000

If you’ve ever had a bladder infection, you’re no stranger to the lightening bolt of pain you feel every time you hit the ole’ litter box to pee. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t; it’s going to hurt if you go, but holding it hurts, too.

While what’s going on may seem like a simple bladder infection, in Chinese medicine they’re anything but simple. Like headaches, colds, or back pain, bladder infections (or UTI’s) have a distinct personality. Symptoms can . . . → Read More: Treating Urinary Tract Infections with Chinese Medicine

Help for Dark Under Eye Circles

Lynn Jaffee — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:56:17 +0000

Not long ago I saw one of the Twilight movies with my kid, and since then, I’ve been thinking about dark under eye circles. You don’t have to be a vampire to have those dark blotchy patches under your eyes; lots of people have them and most would like to get rid of them.

There are lots of theories as to why you get those dark circles; and some are obvious. I can always tell when a patient is not getting enough sleep by . . . → Read More: Help for Dark Under Eye Circles

Chinese Medicine for Early Puberty

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:35:00 +0000

Numbers have all kinds of meaning for different folks, and in Chinese medicine, it’s no different. There are the five elements, the four examinations, and the eight principles of diagnosis. For both men and women there are numeric cycles of growth. As men age, they go through eight year cycles of growth, and women go through growth cycles every seven years.

Today, girls are the subject of this post. At age seven, according to Chinese medical texts, girls have replaced their baby teeth with . . . → Read More: Chinese Medicine for Early Puberty

Go with the Flow: Acupuncture for Menstrual Cramps

Lynn Jaffee — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:45:18 +0000

If you are one of those women who are doubled over each month with menstrual cramps, here’s some good news: acupuncture can help. Think about it; acupuncture is really good for pain relief. It makes sense that it would also be helpful for that day or two each month when cramps leave you on the couch with the heating pad or popping ibuprofen like there’s no tomorrow.

The underlying premise behind acupuncture is that it’s an energetic form of healing. While that may leave . . . → Read More: Go with the Flow: Acupuncture for Menstrual Cramps

Chinese Acupuncture for Frequent Miscarriages

Lynn Jaffee — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:55:22 +0000

Vanessa was an athletic woman in her early 30’s who came to my clinic with a history of frequent miscarriages. She was able to get pregnant, and had done so three or four times, but each pregnancy ended with a miscarriage sometime during the first trimester.

Vanessa was soft spoken and committed to doing whatever it took to have a baby. She had a history of an eating disorder, mild depression, and low energy. Vanessa assured me, however, that she was eating well, and . . . → Read More: Chinese Acupuncture for Frequent Miscarriages

Acupuncture for PMS: A Few Pricks May Help

Lynn Jaffee — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:51:39 +0000

Several years ago I worked with a realtor who set the combination to every lock box (like a hidden key) she had to P-M-S. Clearly PMS was on her mind, and subsequently that of the realtors and clients with whom she worked. If you suffer from monthly moods swings, food cravings, homicidal urges, and the like, you can understand the single mindedness of my realtor.

PMS has been studied for decades and has been categorized according to symptom clusters. It’s called a syndrome (Pre . . . → Read More: Acupuncture for PMS: A Few Pricks May Help

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for Menopause

Lynn Jaffee — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:35:32 +0000

Every women’s experience of menopause is different, based on her genetics, physical and psychological makeup and overall health. Her views of aging and menopause, and those of the people around her, will also shape the experience. Over the past 50 years, with the availability of hormone replacement therapies, women have had the option of treating the discomforts associated with menopause medically. The upshot of this practice is that menopause if viewed as a disease or hormone deficiency, and hormone supplementation is required to reestablish . . . → Read More: Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for Menopause