Category: Blog

Blog

Acupuncture for Digestion Problems

Acupuncture NIrvana

There’s a lot of organs involved in digestion.  The stomach, liver, gallbladder and pancreatic organs and small and large intestines all play a part.

Symptoms like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, cramping, and abdominal pain are all indications that things are not moving through the digestive tract efficiently. 

Acupuncture can stimulate movement in the intestines when things get stuck.  It can reduce inflammation in the stomach when there is acid reflux.  It can reduce pain and inflammation when there is pain in the belly and help bloating and indigestion.

Acupuncture can help by balancing the gut-brain axis and the nervous system to reduce stress, which in turn improves digestive function (One of the side effects of an overactive sympathetic nervous system in “fight or flight” is decreased digestive function).

Acupuncture is a great tool to help regulate the digestion, along with dietary changes and stress reduction.  Every person is different so figuring out what is going on and trying different things that can help is ideal.  Acupuncture is one of the tools to use when trying to help things improve! 

Blog

What can acupuncture do to help a woman who is pregnant?

Acupuncture NIrvana

What can acupuncture do to help a woman who is pregnant?  Treatments during pregnancy can help handle the nausea/morning sickness and the discomfort of pregnancy. The goal of pregnancy acupuncture is to continue miscarriage prevention but to also help the mother continue with the best state of health while the baby is growing.  The goal is also to have an easier birth and a healthy mother and baby after the birth.

A recent pubmed study showed some positive results with acupuncture for pregnant women: The summarized findings indicated a small but growing body of acupuncture research, with some evidence suggesting a benefit from acupuncture to treat nausea in pregnancy. Findings from the review also highlighted promising evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture to manage back and pelvic pain, acupuncture-type interventions to induce change in breech presentation, and pain relief in labor. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19747272/

PC: Unsplash – Devon Divine

Blog

Acupuncture for Kyphosis

Acupuncture NIrvana

Kyphosis is when the bones of the cervical and thoracic spine curves into a rounded hunchback shape.  The cause of kyphosis depends on the type:

– Postural: poor posture, leaning back in chairs, carrying heavy bags, “text neck”.

– Scheuermann’s: problem in your spines structure.

– Congenital: Issue developed in your spine before birth.

Other causes of kyphosis include:

-Age, as your spine starts to curve more as people get older.

-Spinal injury

Your doctor can usually diagnose it by asking you to do the “Adam’s forward bend test” or with an X-ray of the spine.  It’s helpful to get a diagnosis when working with pain management, or if any complications come up, and to monitor the curvature, which may increase with time.

Acupuncture can help provide relief to this condition and help keep pain levels at a lower level so that people with kyphosis can live their life.  I tend to do treatment with points on the neck plus points called Huatojiaji, which are points right by the side of the spine from T1-L5.  It’s used as part of a pain management strategy, (because kyphosis is painful) but we also recommend yoga or tai qi, plus working with a physical therapist on exercises to help good posture, and gentle chiropractic adjustments.

PC: Medline Plus

Blog

Kidney 7 – Returning Current

Acupuncture NIrvana

Kidney 7 is my very favorite point to release the iliopsoas muscle when it is tight and is causing hip, back or leg pain.  It’s also a very big point to bring body fluids into balance – so it’s great for edema, urination issues, excessive sweating, night sweats.  On a deeper level when a patients yin is depleted this point can help – so it’s nicknamed “returning current”.

Blog

Changes

Acupuncture NIrvana

Dear Friends and Patients:

We have all been watching the cost of everything rise with concern, and up till now we have done everything we can to not raise our prices, even through all the extra costs related to the pandemic.  We are healers, and it’s our desire to make acupuncture available to everyone who could benefit from it.

With that being said, we are going to both raise our prices for the first time in 6 years and change some aspects of the practice (we will put out more info on prices later).

Alyx Soesman will also be moving on in the fall to start her own practice.  Congratulations Alyx!  We are going to wait until she is able announce her new location (she’s planning on staying in glens falls) before we raise prices.  We anticipate this being November 1 but will keep you posted.  Anyone who wants to is welcome to follow Alyx – we know she will give you great care!

We are also moving back upstairs to practice out of the lovely second floor of the building, which many of you will remember earlier. 

This move upstairs will go into effect September 1st.  As of that date, you will come in the front door, remove shoes and jackets, then head right up to the second floor waiting area.  You’ll check in at the front desk in upstairs reception, use the restroom on the second floor, and then sit down and wait for your practitioner to take you to your room.

Stay tuned!

With great appreciation,

All the staff of Acupuncture Nirvana