Last week, a fellow Community Acupuncturist in Leominster, MA, reminded her friends not to mow our laws for a few more weeks because the bees need the dandelions. I happily obliged and took my bike out of the garage for a spin instead of the lawn mower.
It turns out that it’s not just bees that need the dandelions. Other pollinators like butterflies, beetles, and different birds are in need of dandelions right now, while we wait for other flowers to bloom later in the season. You can read more about that in this article from the Guardian.
Everything from the root to the flower of a dandelion can be used as medicine. They are a vitamin-packed food source, or helpful remedies when applied topically for skin conditions, such abscesses or nodules. Dandelions are a part of the Chinese Materia Medica, in the category of herbs that 'clear heat' and 'relieve toxicity'. Basically what that means is that they are good for treating inflammation, especially when red, swollen or painful. Dandelion tea can also be a good remedy for red, swollen, painful joints. According to Paul Pitchford’s book, Healing with Whole Foods, dandelions are a mild diuretic and a mild laxative that will not deplete your body of potassium.
Earlier this morning, I discovered patches of dandelions growing in a wooded area in my neighborhood. I am not picking dandelions in public parks, which are more likely to be sprayed with weed killer or fertilizer. But I did forage a bundle of greens, leaving plenty behind to share with our pollinator friends. After I rinsed the greens, I put them in a pot and poured a tea kettle’s worth of hot water over them to make tea. They are steeping as I write this.
You can also dry dandelions in bundles or put them in a food dehydrator. If you are feeling really ambitious you can make a blooming dandelion tea ball, like in this video.
For more information about the benefits of dandelions, you can read more here. I don’t know about you, but I am ready to enjoy a cup of dandelion tea.
- MAS acupuncturist Elizabeth Ropp
This post is to follow up on a patient request: pain behind the ear. Here's the video I put together on the MAS YouTube page to walk us through, along with the information below.
One quick way to get started is with this video from our friend, Stacey Kelsey at Boise Acupuncture Coop. She is focusing specifically on a point on the back of the head between the neck and the back of the ear, Gallbladder 20 (GB20). If the headache behind your ear feels better when you apply pressure, then you may want to gently massage all along the ridge of your occipital bone behind your ear inward until you reach the center of your spine. You can even gently massage the small space just behind your ear lobe, this point is Sanjaio 17 (SJ17).
We are going to use some points on our hands, wrists, and feet to treat pain in the ear, specifically on the Gallbladder and Sanjaio channels. These two channels meet at the ear and they each sport acupuncture points around the ear. At the clinic, whenever we are treating any kind of ear conditions, we are likely to include points on these two channels in your treatment.
The first points on the hand that I recommend are Sanjaio 2 (SJ2) Sanjaio 3 (SJ3). They are located below and above the knuckle between your pinky and ring finger. Press these points on the affected side 20-30 times. If you end up feeling a bit of ache as you press, good! Don't hurt yourself here, but a mild ache in the area of these points when used is a positive. It means they've been activated.
According to 'A Manuel of Acupuncture' by Peter Deadman, San Jaio 3 “is the most important distal point for treating ear disorders due to any (reason).” He even explains that if someone has a blocked ear, especially from traveling by airplane, SJ 3 can be massaged while they hold their nose. If you are at home with someone who has a blocked ear, give it a try and let us know if it’s helpful.
Next, we will travel two finger widths from the wrist and massage the space in between the heads of the two bones in your lower arm.
This area/point is called Sanjaio 5 (SJ5). It’s another good point for ear pain, and it’s especially good for all kinds of headaches, especially on the side of the head, where the ear is located.
The last two areas that we are going to massage are on the opposite foot. (As a note you can always massage the points on both sides of your body to get all your bases covered). Find the space on the top of your foot between the pinky toe and it’s neighboring 4th toe. Massage in between those two bones and in the space between the two toes. Here, you are stimulating three different acupuncture points called, Gallbladder 41, 42, and 43.
All of these points are good for a headache on the (opposite) side of the head, and disorders of the eyes and ears.
We hope this is helpful. Please keep the requests coming. We are always looking for topics that we can write about and share with you.
- MAS acupuncturist Elizabeth Ropp
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We all miss seeing you. We hope you and loved ones are in good health.
If you are able, we welcome donations of any amount to help us cover the rents while we are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic via a current GoFundMe campaign. You can also This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as another way to support the clinics, and/or simply share this blog post with friends and family.
Thank you very much for your support and solidarity - both go a long way these days.
(Accompanying video lives here!)
There are different types of headaches. In the acupuncture world, we choose different points depending on:
1) where the headache is located and,
2) what kind of pain is experienced: throbbing, stabbing, tightness, pressure, etc.
In this post, we are going to talk about two points that can be used separately or in combination for headaches and other pain.
The first point is Large Intestine 4 (LI 4). This point is located on the web of your hand between your thumb and index finger.
This is one of the most commonly used points in acupuncture because it’s good for so many things, headaches being at the top of the list. The Large Intestine channel starts on the index finger, runs up the arm, and ends on the face, right next to the nose. LI 4 is the most important point for any kind of pain or disorder of the face. This makes it a go to for frontal headaches (think forehead), sinus headaches, swelling and pain in the face and eyes, and sinus congestion. It’s also great for toothaches, nose bleeding, and jaw tension.
LI 4 is also one of the best general points for pain. If you are in any kind of pain at all and you don’t know where to get started with acupressure, just remember LI 4 in the web of your hand. Just just pressing and rubbing this one point 10-30 times can go a long way.
Our second point is Liver 3, located on the web of your foot between the big toe and the second toe. The Liver channel starts on the inside of the big toe, runs up the inner leg, through the torso and rib cage. Divergent branches of the Liver channel run up the chest, neck and face to the very top of the head. Treating points on the Liver channel, especially LV 3 is an excellent way to relieve a frontal headache or a headache on the very top of the head. LV3 is also a good point to stimulate for dizziness, blurred or cloudy vision, or redness and irritation of the eyes.
The combination of LI4 and LIV 3 are referred to as the “Four Gates” when used together as a point combination. That is how important these two points are -- when they get together they get their own band name, like Simon and Garfunkel, or better yet, Wham!
These points are excellent for getting your energy moving like George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. If you are having a headache or any pain anywhere, or if you just feel a little depressed or irritable, try massaging these points. You’ll do the jitterbug.
- MAS acupuncturist Elizabeth Ropp
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If you are able, we welcome donations of any amount to help us cover the rents for Manchester & Nashua facilities while we are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic via a current GoFundMe campaign. You may also This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as another way to support the clinics, and/or simply share this blog post with friends and family.
Thank you very much for your support and solidarity.
Many of you know how well acupuncture works for stress, anxiety, and insomnia. If that wasn’t the main reason that led you to try acupuncture, you soon found out how great a few needles and an acu-nap can be for seriously chilling out and hitting the reset button.
If we weren’t already stressed or anxious at times before COVID-19 took over our lives, here we are now. The hardest part for the MAS staff is coming to terms with the frustration of knowing that we have a useful tool to share, but have to set it aside for the time being. This is probably frustrating for many of you as well!
We can however, continue to produce acupressure videos and share other resources, in the time being. And we will continue to do just that.
Our colleague, and Manchester Acupuncture Studio alumn, Justine Meyers, made this wonderful video for relieving stress, anxiety, and insomnia.
Cathy Keenan, at Toronto Community Acupuncture, produced this super simple one-point video to calm an agitated mind.
Laura Berglund, at Wasatch Community Acupuncture, in Salt Lake City Utah, created this lovely stress reduction video using acupressure, massage, and gentle stretching that you can do while seated in a chair.
Music and sound therapy is another useful tool to reduce stress. A group of musicians called Marconi Union worked with sound therapists to create music that is geared towards stress and anxiety reduction. You can read more about that here and you can find ten hours (!!) of their music in this YouTube video.
The last thing I want to mention is acupuncture’s role in helping people cope with stress and trauma in times of man-made and natural disasters. The effects of COVID-19 are compared with the devastation of the September 11 attacks. After 9-11, licensed acupuncturists, and people trained in ear acupuncture (Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists), provided treatments at stress reduction clinics around lower Manhattan at St. Vincent’s Hospital, and nearby fire stations, for six or seven years following that historically catastrophic event.
Learn more about it in this short video from our friend Laura Cooley.
I mention this, because even when things return to “normal”, we will still need tools for stress management, including acupuncture. We very much look forward to seeing you, in person, on the other side of this, once it is deemed safe enough to carry on with business in clinic.
- MAS acupuncturist Elizabeth Ropp
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If you are able, we welcome donations of any amount to help us cover the rents for Manchester & Nashua facilities while we are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic via a current GoFundMe campaign. You may also This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as another way to support the clinics, and/or simply share this blog post with friends and family.
Thank you very much for your support and solidarity.
(Video demonstration with Elizabeth)
Shoulder pain and neck pain are some of the most common things we treat with acupuncture. It makes sense that we got a request on how to use acupressure for those issues. I admit that I’m spending extra time on my couch watching Netflix and it’s giving me shoulder and neck pain. My new favorite show is Kim’s Convenience, check it out.
There are different types of shoulder pain. This article is specifically focusing on shoulder pain that affects the shoulder blade directly. We are going to use two acupressure points on the pinky side of hand, Small Intestine 3 and Small Intestine 4. These two points are also effective for pain of the neck and back.
We are using the Small Intestine Channel because it runs up the outside of the arm and zig zags across the shoulder blade.
Small Intestine 3 is on the pinky side of your hand above your first knuckle. For those of us familiar with EFT, it's the 'karate chop' point.
You can easily locate Small Intestine 4 by traveling up the side of your hand just before you get to your wrist bone.
Press and rub these two points on the same side as your affected shoulder. You can alternate between the two points. If you have neck pain, gently turn your head from sides to side. If you want to take this a step further, you can massage your shoulder blade with a foam roller or a tennis ball while you stimulate points SI 3 and SI 4 on the side of your hand.
By massaging your shoulder blade directly, you will be stimulating six or seven additional points on the Small Intestine channel. All of them are good for shoulder, upper arm, and elbow pain. They are also good for opening the chest and easing a cough with phlegm. Many of you have noticed by now that with acupuncture we commonly needle points that are opposite from where you may experience discomfort. If you are home right now with someone who has a cough, be sure to give them a back rub, especially on and in between the shoulder blades.
Give this a shot and let us know if it’s helpful. And, please keep the requests coming.
- MAS acupuncturist Elizabeth Ropp
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We all miss all of you! We hope to see you again and in good health.
If you are able, we welcome donations of any amount to help us cover the rents while we are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic via a current GoFundMe campaign. You can also This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as another way to support the clinics, and/or simply share this blog post with friends and family.
Thank you very much for your support and solidarity.
