When my daughter was small she loved the book The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts. She even wrote a book report about it in 1st grade and was devastated when her teacher told her off for writing about something inappropriate and offensive. Personally I was with my daughter, rather than the teacher, on this one. It is completely normal to pass some gas. In fact most people produce about 1 to 4 pints of gas a day and pass gas about 14 times a day. However if the amount of gas you produce is embarrassing or uncomfortable here are some tips to naturally reduce the gas you pass. Continue reading…

“Can acupuncture really help make me more fertile and, if so, how does it work?”

This is a question patients ask me all the time and I understand why. It seems so improbable that tiny hair-like needles could have such a profound effect. At The YinOva Center most of our patients find out about us because they were referred by a friend or by their doctor. They have heard stories about how acupuncture has helped other people to conceive a baby. However it’s good to have more than anecdotal evidence about why something works and fortunately these days there is a growing body of clinical data that begins to explain acupuncture’s effect on the reproductive system.

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“Why are you sticking needles in my feet if my problem is a headache” It’s a common question and one of the things that mystifies patients about acupuncture.

Up until now I’ve always answered, “because that is what I was taught to do”. The Meridians that run through the head run to the feet and I was taught to descend qi from the head by needling specific acupoints in the feet. Thousands of years of empirical experience have born this theory out and the experience of hundreds of patients at the YinOva center would attest to its efficacy.

In fact some would argue that the experience of millions of Chinese people over thousands of years is all the evidence you need to show what a valuable technique acupuncture is.

Those of you who know me, though, will know that I enjoy bringing the worlds of Chinese and conventional medicine together. It is interesting to me to look at traditional Chinese medical techniques from both perspectives.

A new study caught my eye because it does just that. Traditionally acupuncturists have used a point on the little toe to address eye pain. The point is chosen because it is on the same meridian as the eye. Now scientists at UC Irvine have used an MRI to look at people’s brains whilst they are receiving acupuncture. What they found was that when the point for eye pain on the foot is stimulated the part of the brain that governs vision is activated. You can read about it here.

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Susan was a long-term fertility patient who was overjoyed to find out that she was pregnant. “Should I still come and see you every week”, she asked me.

The answer is only if you want to. If you find acupuncture relaxing and useful feel free to visit us hear at the YinOva Center as much as you like. However, most pregnant women visit us only when they need us and I encourage them to use us as a resource coming in when they are uncomfortable.

Pregnancy is not an illness and most women do not need regular ongoing treatment. However acupuncture can be an excellent choice to address common pregnancy ailments in a safe, gentle, drug-free manner. The needles we use a small and hair-like, the treatment is relatively painless and there are no adverse side effects for either you or your baby.

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Fertility and Fats:

Fats to eat and fats to avoid when you’re trying to conceive.

You’ve probably read recent news reports about fats and fertility. I know my patients have and many of them are asking me for help in deciding which fats to eat and what to cut out.

One recent study said that women who eat low-fat dairy foods may have a higher risk of infertility than those who treat themselves to full-fat ice cream or cheese. Another found that getting just 2% of total calories from trans fats instead of healthier mono-unsaturated fats was associated with a doubled risk of infertility.

So what are all these fats and what should we be doing about them? Continue reading…

“How do I treat varicose veins? Three experts prescribe support hose, acupuncture, and healing herbs”

“Varicose veins start as surface or spider veins that get larger with time, and they often ache, itch, swell, or throb. They can be caused by aging, genetics, pregnancy, obesity, injuries, or prolonged standing.
TREATMENT: Wear support hose, which require a prescription to be fitted to your legs…”