education

My Bookshelf: Keeping Your Child Healthy With Chinese Medicine

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Chinese medicine is so beneficial for adults, but it is just as beneficial for children! Children even respond more quickly to treatments than adults because of their young age and increased self-healing ability. If you’re wondering how Chinese medicine can help children, I want to recommend a book to read explaining it all!

Keeping your child healthy with chinese medicine

Keeping Your Child Healthy With Chinese Medicine: A Parent’s Guide to the Care and Prevention of Common Childhood Diseases is a fabulous book to read to learn about children and Chinese medicine. Bob Flaws does a thorough job of explaining how things work in the body of a child. He goes through some of the main causes of most children’s diseases. He also gives recommendations on how to help your child not get sick – hint, it begins with the diet. He also discuses other ways to prevent diseases and promote health from Traditional Chinese Medicine theory.

Just some of the topics he discusses include: neonatal jaundice, colic, vomiting of milk, diarrhea, constipation, diaper rash, cradle cap, teething, fever, ear infections, cough, pediatric pneumonia and asthma, strep throat, bed-wetting, allergies, hyperactivity, chickenpox, and traumatic injuries.

I highly recommend Keeping Your Child Healthy with Chinese Medicine, especially if you have any little ones running around, whether you are the parent, guardian, aunt, uncle, grandparent or babysitter.
“In TCM pediatrics, it is believed that children are not simply miniature adults. Rather, children are immature physically and functionally according to Chinese medicine, and most of the common pediatric complaints are due to this immaturity.”
Keeping Your Child Healthy with Chinese Medicine p.7
There’s always so much to learn and remember to be open to other paradigms. The best health plan incorporates Eastern and Western medicine!
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Why do some people tend to get sick more than others?

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You may wonder why some people get sick while others do not. Those that tend towards sickness most likely have some internal deficiencies or imbalances.

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The specifics are difficult to explain and one of the many reasons for all of my education and training! Basically, a certain substance in the body is either not able to fulfill all of its functions or the external pathogenic invader is really strong. If the EPI is strong, but the right qi of the body (part of the body’s defense) is also strong, the person tend to not get sick as often. If the EPI is strong but the right qi is deficient, the person tends to get sick.

If you’re starting to feel less than your best, read my post about responding to cold and flu symptoms for more information on what is going on and what to do next.

Learn Something New: New Technology & Your Health Presentation

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Earlier this month my clinic, the Acupuncture Wellness Center, hosted a presentation about Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMFT) and it was a huge success. After seeing the popularity of the event, we decided to continue with more learning opportunities for our patients and community.

If you missed the first presentation this is a great chance to catch up and learn even more!

New Technology & Your Health

Thursday, November 19, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

RSVP via Facebook

We will talk about why PEMFT is the big game changer and why it is called the medicine of the future. Over the last twenty years 10,000 clinical studies have shown overwhelming evidence of a multitude of medical advantages.

The philosophy around this technology is to move towards the GREAT PARADIGM SHIFT and take preventative actions to heal ourselves before things go wrong rather than waiting to go to the doctor after something has already happened.

Introduction by Dr. Hans van Latenstein

Just for Attending You Receive a Free PEMFT Treatment Worth: $50

Lifestyle Adjustments for the Changing Seasons

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Have you noticed the shift in seasons has begun? Even though Iowa still has some warm days, there is definitely a chill in the air! It’s important to note when the seasons change, as it subtly suggests we should also change and incorporate some modifications into our daily life.

The season of autumn belongs to the Lung*. According to the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, by Maoshing Ni, this is when “all things in nature reach their full maturity, heavenly energy cools, wind begins to stir, it’s the pivoting point when the yang phase turns into the yin phase.”

Essentially, this means it’s time to change up the way you do things a bit. Here are some helpful tips from the Yellow Emperor to naturally change with the season:

  • Go to bed with the sunset, get up with the sunrise – In theory, this sounds great, but we all know this may not be possible. Either way, it’s helpful to try to get a little more sleep.
  • Eat warm, cooked foods.
  • Stay warm. It’s tempting to want to get the last wear out of your favorite summer sandals, but be sure to layer up with scarves and sweaters to keep your qi strong. Not sure what to wear? Check out my friend Carly’s post for how to stay warm and stylish!
  • Take time to gather one’s spirit and energy.
  • Remain calm and peaceful, and try to avoid feelings of depression or grief. Sadness also belongs to the Lung.
  • Stay focused.
  • Keep the Lung energy full, clean and quiet – Do so by practicing breathing exercises to enhance Lung qi.

While it may be difficult to follow all of them, focus on a few you think you can do and try to integrate the change of season into your everyday life.

Happy Autumn! 

*When practitioners of Chinese Medicine talk of organs, it does not necessarily mean the physical organ. Rather we are talking of the channel of the organ and the properties associated with the organ according to Chinese Medicine. 

My Journey to Traditional Chinese Medicine

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Ever since I was a young child I have always been interested in medicine, health and the human body.  How the body works is so fascinating! When I was in high school I had set my sights on becoming a doctor, specifically a pediatrician. I had, and still have, a special interest in helping children become healthier to help prevent illnesses and diseases. Then some of my family members started going to see an acupuncturist at the Iowa Acupuncture Clinic for various ailments. Like most people, I had no idea what acupuncture was or what it could do, but when my family members saw improvements it piqued my interest.
 
As I was talking to my mom about wanting to be a doctor, she said she could see me being an acupuncturist. The thought intrigued me, so I decided to get my first acupuncture treatment. My main goal was to get a better understanding of acupuncture, and my initial experience was relaxing and enjoyable. I was very curious because the acupuncturist asked me questions based on what she observed by looking at my tongue and feeling my pulse. It was extremely interesting to learn that our bodies tell us things every day; we just need to be aware of it and listen.
 
After that, I began working at the Iowa Acupuncture Clinic and the medicine continued to amaze me. I really enjoyed being a part of the clinic and observing patient interactions. I saw improvements in my health in ways I wouldn’t have thought possible from tiny needles being strategically placed all over my body. At the time I truly did not understand how much theory went into a treatment.
 
I graduated from Johnston High School in 2007 and started my undergraduate experience at Grand View University in the fall of 2007. Throughout my time at Grand View, I continued to work part-time at the clinic and it only confirmed my passion for Chinese Medicine. I earned my Bachelors Degree in Health Promotion: Wellness and Fitness and went on to pursue my Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Northwestern Health Sciences University. After my education in health and Traditional Chinese Medicine, I’m even mIMG_9394ore amazed with the body and all of the miracles that happen every second.

I now work for Acupuncture Wellness Center & Allergy Clinic of Iowa, and every day I’m thankful for all of the steps that lead me down this path towards my calling of being an acupuncturist. I have dedicated myself to helping people feel their best.  After all, we only have one body for this one amazing life; we better take the best care of it we can.