Ramblings of an Acupuncturist

Healthy Contemplations

Nourished Joints are Healthy Joints, Arthritis Series, part 4

I believe that we truly are what we eat and that symptoms are the body’s way of asking for nutrients it is not getting. With arthritis sympt

Spring is here... maybe?

It’s now Spring here in Oregon, yesterday that meant that we had cold temperatures with a mix of sun, rain, hail, and wind in every combination possible and today we had snow. According to Chinese medicine theory as we transition through different seasons of the year different organ systems become dominate. The spring belongs to the Liver/Gallbladder organ system and is all about regrowth, moving, changing, and cleaning away what we don’t need anymore. It is an expansive time with the days getting longer as the yang energy is growing in strength. The color associated with the liver and spring is green and the emotion that the liver controls is anger or frustration. During this time of year i

The Whole is Better than the Parts: Arthritis Series, part 3

When the check engine light comes on in your car, you could just disconnect the wire and that would turn off the light (reductionism) or you

Getting to the Root of Joint Pain: Arthritis Series, Part 2

In part one of the arthritis series, we went over the basics, signs and symptoms of common arthritis conditions. If you missed it you can find it here. Today we are going to look at arthritis through the lens of Eastern Asian medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Chinese medicine is a very complex system of medicine that was developed over many centuries of observing nature. It sees the human body as a part of the natural landscape and treats the body as a whole, not a list of symptoms but more a complex network of relationships trying to create balance in the body. Disease in Chinese medicine is an imbalance or disharmony in the natural balance.The goal of treatment is to bring th

Achy, Creaky, Painful Joints: Is it Arthritis? (Arthritis Series: part 1)

Sometimes if you have joint pain and stiffness and you are middle aged or older it can just be assumed that you have arthritis. I have had many patients say that they were told by their doctor that their joints are getting old and are now arthritic. Some people blame their arthritic knees on the football they played in high school and while there may be some truth to that, it is not the whole story. We can have more wear and tear on certain joints if we have injuries that never fully healed or we have imbalances in the body that put extra strain on certain joints or muscle groups. But our joints should recover if given the right care and nutrition. So what is Arthritis? Arthritis is defined

My Crossfit Year in Review

A year ago, I walked into a Crossfit box for the first time. At the time I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t even know that Crossfit gyms are referred to as boxes. All I knew was I was interested in starting a new workout routine and needed some direction. I had been a member at a number of different gyms over the years and always felt a little lost in them. I had taken a weight lifting class in high school but didn’t learn much about how to properly workout or how to really build a workout plan. I had done a few introductory appointments with coaches at the gyms I went to, but never really followed through on their recommendations. I often felt intimidated by the other people at the gym.

Yen Wellness

Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine