And don’t forget to visit your acupuncturist when your eyes start watering  and nose gets clogged.  We’ll give you a treatment and send you home with herbs that bring lasting relief.  Or pop into our community acupuncture clinic for instant reprieve from allergy symptoms.

We have that chrysanthemum you are looking for, too.

Get centered again after all the summer’s activity.  Get your body’s energy in sync with the season’s change.  Help your mind get back to a regular schedule.  And build your immune system to withstand the autumn sniffles.  Let us jump start your Qi for you!  Let us know if you have allergies when you come and we’ll take care of those symptoms, too.  All for just $50.

Schedule a 60 or 90 minute massage with Robin in the month of June and she’ll treat you to ten extra minutes of experiencing her newly learned techniques. We’re sure you’ll love them.

Rice congee is very easy to make. Take 1/2 cup of white rice and 2-3 cups of water and put it in a crockpot. You’ll have to play with the amount of water to find a consistency you like. It is like porridge, and we all know that some like it thick and some like it thin. Add whatever you want to cook with the rice. Turn the crockpot on low, cook overnight, and your delicious breakfast will await you in the morning. You may use a broth instead of water if you like.

Congee can be as simple as adding a little butter, chopped walnuts and dates or raisins. For the GBA meeting, Andrea made one with sweet potato cut into small pieces, red dates, lotus seeds, lily bulbs, and gou ji berries, and another savory one with scallions and ginger. I often use chicken broth and cook it with pieces of leftover chicken. When it’s done I’ll add a vegetable like broccoli and cook it a little longer. For breakfast congees I enjoy adding seasonal fruits.

Congee is a versatile medium for many tasty meals. If you’d like to try Andrea’s sweet congee, above, give us a ring and we can provide you with a packet of the food herbs she used.

Thanks to our office manager, Anne-Marie, for planning and making the morning run smoothly.

Check Hot Topics for a description of congee and a recipe.

In the aftermath of such major flooding, some of the health risks are obvious. We need to be careful driving due to damaged roads, and plan extra time for for detours. Extreme stress can aggravate existing health problems. On a mental/emotional level, there is more than enough anxiety to go around. Many of us have been displaced from our homes and can not cook in our own kitchens. Our diets may suffer from eating more “junk” food than usual. Disrupted schedules keep us from our exercise routines. Many of us are still feeling overwhelmed by the sudden storm that hit our area with such force.

And there is Damp. Damp is a term used in Chinese Medicine to describe a “climate” or “pathogenic factor” that can invade our bodies. Working in a damp environment, being out in rainy weather too long, living near the shore, or spending time in a basement all contribute to the presence of Damp in our bodies. Some people are more prone to being affected by Damp than others. Torrential rain turning our streets into rivers and making our basements moldy is open season for Damp.

Damp can be internally generated in our bodies, as well. Eating too much dairy or consuming cold food and drinks are ways we increase the likelihood of Damp.

Some symptoms of Damp might include bloating after eating, nausea, water retention problems, joint pain aggravated by damp weather, foggy thinking, allergies with stuffy nose, or a sluggish feeling. Sometimes Damp slows down healing of other things.

A lot of times people go to their doctors with vague Damp symptoms that western medicine can’t make sense of. They bloat, but nothing is wrong, they get lingering headaches that don’t seem bad enough for prescribed medicine, or they feel a lack of motivation. Perhaps there is something not quite right with digestion or allergies make them unusually stuffy. Maybe they can’t shake a level of fatigue and feeling blah.

In Chinese Medicine, Damp is a very real problem. The good news is that we have ways to help it. There are acupuncture protocols to make the Qi or energy flow so Damp doesn’t get stuck in the body. Chinese herbs free the Damp by either transforming it into usable fluids or aromatically dispersing it. These methods are safe to use in conjunction with pharmaceutical medications. Sometimes people just need a little help to get through a season or event, in this case a major flood.

Mystic River Acupuncture is just a phone call away and we will be happy to talk to you about Damp related problems. Or stop by to visit the next time you are in Groton.

Mystic River Acupuncture  860.448.6766  167 Broad Street, Groton, CT.  Just around the corner from Ortega’s.

]]> http://www.mysticriveracupuncture.com/archives/1537/feed 0 http://www.mysticriveracupuncture.com/archives/1534 http://www.mysticriveracupuncture.com/archives/1534#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:24:51 +0000 kathleen poole http://www.mysticriveracupuncture.com/?p=1534 Come to the Town of East Lyme’s Health and Wellness Fair on April 29 at the East Lyme Town Hall. Check out our table for information about Chinese Herbs and acupuncture and try a chair massage from one of our expert massage therapists. You’ll be glad you did.

The action of VA111913 is very different from the usual hormone based drugs or pain medications given to women who suffer from menstrual cramps. It blocks the hormone vasopressin, thus reducing cramps. While it was billed as a PMS drug, the focus of the treatment seems to be solely on cramping. I am not sure what effect it will have on other symptoms of PMS, such as emotional tenderness, irritability, a tendency to headaches, etc. I encourage anyone who suffers from cramping to keep an eagle eye on this new drug. On the face of it, a non-birth control based medication to relieve this kind of suffering seems like a really good idea. Time will tell how effective and safe it is.

The vice-president of the company is quoted as saying, “Right now, the current therapies for menstrual cramps are poorly tailored.” What he should have said is that the current standard western therapies for menstrual cramps are poorly tailored. Chinese medical therapeutic protocols are exceptionally well tailored.

Menstrual cramps/ PMS is one of the easiest things for Chinese Medicine to treat. Menstrual problems are right up there in our Top Ten. In fact, for most physical and emotional problems associated with menstrual cycles, I believe it is best to try Chinese Medicine — acupuncture or herbs — first. (My patients know that I don’t feel this way about all illnesses.)

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help with the regulation of the actual cycle and any problems that may accompany it. With weekly treatment, most women notice dramatic improvement within three cycles. Most of the time there is good improvement within the very first month. After her cycle returns to normal and the PMS/menstrual symptoms subside, a woman need only come for acupuncture or herbs when she needs to. Some prefer to come once a month for acupuncture before their periods. Others like to keep their herbal formula on hand in case they need it.

In western medicine, unless cramping is so severe as to reduce her ability to function, menstrual pain and PMS are considered a normal part of being a woman. This is not so in Chinese Medicine. PMS and pain with periods, or in menopause, for that matter, indicate that something is wrong. That “something” can be fixed and Chinese Medicine has the tools to do it. This is not to ignore extreme circumstances in which western medical intervention is essential. However, for most women, most of the time, a trip to their acupuncturist will be just the ticket.

You can get birth control pills, pain killers, and now VA111913 for the treatment of PMS and menstrual cramps.

Or you can get real relief, quickly, using acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

Well, it’s about time.

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Follow this link to see the original item in The Day.

http://www.theday.com/article/20100405/NWS08/304059946