Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!

Give the Gift of Health this Holiday!

Looking for a gift idea?
Want to give something that doesn't end up in a landfill?
Klinik has Gift Certificates!
Give the gift of Health to those you care about!
We have gift certificates for all Klinik practitioners and services!

604.876.8764 or jennifer@klinikvancouver.com for more details!

Moms-to-be! Let's turn that baby around!

Breech presentation can occur in the 7th or 8th month of pregnancy which means that the baby is in any number of positions other than the optimal head down position. In most cases, the baby turns around naturally by the 35th week, but in some cases the baby is born breech usually via cesarean.  C-sections require a longer recovery time and may come with complications.

Some natural options  include; Chiropractic Webster technique, an external cephalic version performed by an Obstetrician, or by the simple use of a Moxa stick!

Moxibustion (Artemesia vulgaris or ai ye) works wonders turning the fetus around (prior to the 39th week), when applied to the last point on the Urinary Bladder meridian. UB67- which is located at the outside corner of the little toe right next to the nail. A moxa stick is held close to the point, not on the skin, to heat the point. This shouldn't be painful or excessively hot. Have a birthing partner do this, as most mothers will be beyond touching their toes! Two times daily for 5 minutes each time should be sufficient to turn the baby around. Once movement is felt, stop the moxa immediately upon confirmation from a midwife or obstetrician that the baby has indeed turned.

Why does this work? Possibly due to the idea of circulating blood in the pelvic area and the uterus. Moxa may not be for everyone and is not recommended without sufficient air ventilation. Always consult with a Registered Acupuncturist first.

Acupuncture for Torticollis or 'Wry neck'

 Autumn is the time of year that I see the most cases of Torticollis, also known as 'Wry neck' or simply a stiff neck with limited range of motion.

This may be due to the seasonal shift with temperatures cooling down at night, (caused by direct contact with wind or cold) a drafty window or a blowing fan can cause the muscles of the neck to contract and spasm. Quite often patients simply wake up with the pain or discomfort of the neck and certain movements restricted on one or both sides. A stiff neck can also be the result of stress--a common area for people to hold their stress which seems to increase as Summer grinds to a halt and Fall routines take over.

Acupuncture alone can be a very effective healing modality in helping to release the muscles and allow blood and energy to circulate better with the use of local and distal points. I like to use a heat lamp to add a little bit of warmth to release soft tissue tension once the needles are in. Acupuncture also has a calming effect which boosts Serotonin and Endorphin levels and reduces stress. Cupping along sub occipital and trapezius muscles is also soothing and helps to release muscle tension and promote local circulation.

 I recommend that heat be used at home, a heating pad or a warm shower while doing light movement therapy will help keep mobility and prevent from further stiffness and spasm. This can be done with active range of motion exercises involving the neck, shoulder shrugs and shoulder rotations (forward and backward). An analgesic such as Tiger Balm or Japanese mint oil may also work to soothe achy muscles and take the edge off the pain. Acupuncture treatments are recommended before stress gets out of control and to help keep your body in balance with any seasonal change.  Book your treatment today!

 Oh poor neglected blog!! It has been such a long time since posting!

Fall is rapidly approaching... and the first day after Labour day always feels like the start of the new year, doesn't it?
When the days start to become shorter and the need for cozy layers and warming foods become more apparent.

In Chinese medicine, Autumn is the time of year to slow down the busy pace that was Summer and to look forward to a quieter, more introspective time. A time when that crazy Yang energy starts to shift to more nurturing Yin energy. A time to start thinking of conserving that energy for winter and stay warm!

The best way to do this is to shift from eating cold, raw, foods (like salads and sushi); to cooked or lightly steamed local, seasonal foods (soups and stews). Utilizing warming herbs and spices like ginger and cinnamon with meals.. I prefer Vietnamese cinnamon, which almost has a sweeter flavour. One recipe I love for Fall is a simple apple sauce or compote which can be heated as a part of breakfast or simple snack.
Apple Sauce
6-8 medium size apples (Mcintosh, Braeburn, Fuji or a mix)
1/2 spoon of Vietnamese cinnamon

Slice apples into a medium size sauce pan and fill half way up to the apples with water. Cook on medium heat just until apples soften. Add the cinnamon and stir. Perfect for chilly mornings!

As Autumn correlates with the Lung energy, it is a perfect time to schedule an acupuncture treatment to help ward off cold and flu season and give the immune system a boost. The emotion associated with the lung is grief/sadness. Acupuncture treatments can help improve mood, lift depression, and help with Seasonal affective disorder.

Book a treatment today and help prepare your body for the changing season!

Acupuncture for Cyclists!

Whether you're a die-hard downhill rider who prefers the gnarly North shore single-track or training religiously on a road bike for one of BC's Grand Fondo races; acupuncture can benefit any cyclist  looking to train harder, recover faster and stay in optimal shape.
Acupuncture helps to strengthen the body,  improve function, which can help boost athletic performance by restoring internal balance to the body.
Acupuncture can help ease pain from repetitive-use injuries,  and speed recovery time from trauma by decreasing swelling and improving blood flow to the area.
Acupuncture also works to help prevent injury by focusing on the underlying cause that may predispose someone to certain injuries.
Along with a good stretching regime, healthy diet, and proper equipment; acupuncture will help keep you healthy and peddling faster.

www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Acupuncture+for+Athletes

Chlorella! The Super Food!

Chlorella is a single-celled, green micro-algae that has been around for nearly 2 billion years! It is a super food containing; chlorophyll, protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, nucleic acids, beta-carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and iodine. A perfect supplement for vegetarians who may struggle with getting enough protein and vitamin B12 from their diets.

Chlorella is gentle, yet effective for detoxification as it helps stop bacteria, yeast and fungal growth and can improve liver function. Chlorella is safe for seniors, and can help promote healthy growth patterns in children.

It helps to; regulate blood sugar, improve the immune system, increase white blood cell counts, support cancer treatment (both radiation and chemotherapy), aid in tissue repair, promote mental health, and can relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia. Chlorella can reduce high blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, decrease PMS and help to diminish the occurrence of asthma attacks. One study suggests that Chlorella contains a substance that appears to increase production of interferon- a chemical in the body that protects against harmful viruses.

Chlorella is a gentle and effective food source to help promote overall health and benefit any acupuncture treatment.

BC Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture Day

Come on out and learn more about acupuncture for FREE!

Join the local acupuncture and TCM community to celebrate this alternative health system by participating in; complementary consulations, TCM and acupuncture seminars, a free clinic, and educational booths. Tai Chi seminars and Kung Fu performances will also be happening.

Come on and check it out.

When: Sunday, July 24th -- 10am - 5 pm

Where: Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver, 50 East Pender Street

Cost: FREE

www.qatcma.org/cp-33-4_Annual_TCM.html for more info.

June is Bike Month!

With Spring upon us, and Summer just around the corner; days are lasting longer which means more opportunity to enjoy the outdoors! Lucky for us Vancouverites, there is no limitation for outdoor adventure, especially when it involves hopping on a bike and enjoying awesome local road and/or mountain biking anywhere from long stretches of smooth pavement to gnarly single-track trails. A perfect time to tune-up the bicycle and the body to help prevent injuries and maintain strength and endurance. Acupuncture helps promote healing for sprains and strains, can decrease pain, improve local circulation and decrease inflammation and recovery time. Post-ride visits to your Registered Acupuncturist can help flush out lactic acid build-up from strenuous work-outs and keep muscles supple and loose. Periodic treatments can help improve immune system function to keep you out on the bike all Summer long!

June 19th is Car Free Day in Vancouver, stop by Main Street from 12-8 pm and say hello to some of the wonderful practitioners and therapists from Klinik. Our table will be located between 17th and 18th Avenue.

Why I LOVE Moxa!

'Moxa', 'Moxibustion', or 'Moe Kusa' in Japanese which translates to 'burning herb' is-- that exactly! -- a herb that is burned to heat a specific area of the body for the purpose of treating disharmony.

Moxa is Mugwort or chinese Wormwood that comes from the 'sage' family and is also called Artemesia vulgaris or Artemesia argyi. It is wonderful to use as it is the most readily available combustible that does not flame and can provide a temperature of 670 degrees centigrade. Recent analysis indicates the chemical richness includes; protein, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, aluminum, magnesium, adenine, choline, and Vitamins A,B,C and D. Crazy!!

Moxa is awesome for: warming cold conditions, expels dampness, opens up the meridians and boosts Qi (energy) and blood! Excellent for conditions like; arthritis, asthma, vomiting, diarrhea, rheumatic and abdominal pain. Awesome for menstrual cramps! Moxibustion directed towards UB67 (corner of the nail on the baby toe) has good results in correcting breech presentation with expectant mothers.

Moxa can be found in; cones, sticks, moxa box, or in it's loose form. Moxa doesn't hurt, it is very soothing and excellent for cancer patients.

Ask your Registered Acupuncturist more about this wonderful, warming herb that has a multitude of uses.

Seasonal Allergies & Acupuncture

Spring time!!! And with those lovely cherry blossoms that line the streets with pink, also start a vicious cycle of allergies in many people, that can potentially last from early Spring until the late Fall. What constitutes an allergy? Essentially it's the body's over-reaction or sensitivity to an allergen. Typically in Spring it involves airborne particles from trees and weeds -- pollen. What's really happening? While the body's response is to produce IgE antibodies that attach to white blood cells, when these cells are stimulated they release histamine causing allergic symptoms such as; runny nose, sinus congestion, itchy/watery eyes, and sneezing. Western medicine treats allergies with antihistamines like Benadryl or Chlortriplon or allergy shots by injecting small amounts of an allergen and gradually increasing to desensitize the body's response. While these methods are effective at treating the symptoms, there are also side-effects (drowsiness, urinary retention, dry mouth, blurred vision...etc.) Acupuncture is a natural alternative that works not only to relieve irritating symptoms but also to help build up a tolerance to the allergen. Acupuncture treatments before spring starts, will also help diminish the hypersensitive allergic response and help build-up the body's immune system.

Acupuncture improves symptoms after cancer therapy

from The Journal of Chinese Medicine, #95, February 2011, North American Edition:

Having weekly acupuncture treatment following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) may reduce patients' symptom severity and decrease the amount of time they need to undergo tubal feeding. In a retrospective case series, ten American patients with HNC were treated with weekly manual and electroacupuncture for radiation-induced dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and xerostomia (dry mouth). Nine out of ten patients reported subjective improvement in swallowing, xerostomia, pain and fatigue levels. Six out of seven patients had their feeding tubes removed after acupuncture, at a median duration of 114 days post CRT, which represents a relatively short time under such circumstances. (Acupuncture for dysphagia after chemoradiation therapy in head and neck cancer: a case series report. Integr Cancer Ther. 2010 Sep;9(3):284-90).
Meanwhile, a Norwegian study has examined the quality of life of breast cancer patients on anti-oestrogen medication, two years after receiving acupuncture treatment for hot flushes. Forty-one women from an acupuncture treatment group and 41 women from a sham acupuncture control group had received a course of 15 acupuncture treatments over a period of 10 weeks showed that women previously treated with sham acupuncture complained that hot flushes were still a problem, whilst those previously treated with traditional Chinese acupuncture found them less problematic and generally had a more positive outlook on life. (Quality of life of breast cancer patients medicated with anti-estrogens, 2 years after acupuncture treatment: a qualitative study. Int J Womens Health. 2010 Sep 28;2:319-25).

While acupuncture does not cure cancer, acupuncture treatments can vastly improve quality of life post-chemo and radiation. Relieving symptoms such as: proctitis, pain, edema, nausea/vomiting, low energy levels, constipation; acupuncture is a natural, non-invasive approach.

Happy Heart Day!

Valentine's day, what a perfect time to take care of the body's largest and most important muscle!
In general, the heart's main function is to pump oxygen-rich blood through the arteries into all parts of the body. In Traditional Chinese medicine it also determines the state and strength of our constitution. A strong heart equals a strong, vigorous, active person with a 'hearty' constitution. The Heart is also connected with the spirit or "Shen". Mental activity resides in the Heart, which results in its affect on our emotional health, memory, thinking and sleeping. With a strong healthy Heart, comes a mind that is peaceful and happy, a balanced emotional world and sleep that is sound. A Registered Acupuncturist can help your mind and body function better. If you or a loved one, are experiencing any of the above symptoms contact your Acupuncturist today, and help take care of your Heart!

Feeling Good? -- Keep that feeling going with Acupuncture!

Allergies diminished? Back pain feeling better? PMS under control ...at the moment?
There is no better time, even when one is feeling great, to come in for a treatment to help keep that good feeling going!

Quite often I hear the words "I'll come in when the pain returns..." or "I'll come in when I NEED to...". With initial acupuncture treatments, it may take a few sessions to help build or balance the body's energy. Once this has occured, quite often it only takes one treatment down the road to bring everything into check again, to provide a "tune-up" to keep things moving properly. It makes sense to have a maintenance treatment to keep the body balanced and the energy harmonized rather than more treatments when a crisis occurs.

Acupuncture can work very well as a form of preventative medicine, which can mean a boost in the immune system, faster recovery time, and less intense pain with pre-existing, chronic injuries. Feel good all the time with regular monthly or seasonal treatments, or schedule a session before a stressful time-- this combined with moderate exercise and a healthy diet can help you take control of your health and allow you to enjoy life!

Acupuncture Treatment for Chronic Sinusitis

Chronic Sinusitis is a condition that affects millions of Canadians each year. It is a condition that involves inflammation of the paranasal sinuses due to; infection (bacterial, viral or fungal), allergies, or autoimmune disorders. Symptoms may include; nasal congestion, facial pain or pressure, headaches, tightness or fullness of the sinuses, pain when bending foward, and dizziness lasting longer than three months.
Chronic Sinusitis is typically treated with antibiotics, cortico-steroids or even surgery, but natural alternatives like acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine have proven to be very effective.
Regular acupuncture treatments can help ease the symptoms snd clear the root cause. Points located near and around the nasal cavity, aided with supplemental points are well known to dispel congestion and get the energy flowing more freely. Another technique known as 'Guasha' is also effective in helping ease and prevent chronic sinusitis.
Ruling out dietary sensitivities/allergies such as dairy or wheat may prove to be useful, as well as environmental factors such as temperature variations (damp cold) and mold.
With the use of a 'neti pot' , a small teapot helps to flush out the nasal cavity with a saline solution, by clearing congestion and aiding in breathing. The use of essential oils can be beneficial when doing a steam inhalation. Eucalyptus and Japanese Mint oil are well-known to improve sinus congestion, Thyme oil is excellent as an anti-sinusitis oil and is known for having anti-bacterial properties as well. Place five drops in a bowl of hot water. Place a towel over the head, inhale the steam and allow the sinuses to clear for approximately five minutes.
Natural alternatives can provide lasting relief from chronic sinus pain, which doesn't result in harmful side-effects. Contact your Registered Acupuncturist for more information.

Christmas Gift Certificates!

Stumped with what to get that special someone who has everything? Tired of giving more stuff? Give the gift of health this holiday season!

With every Acupuncture gift certificate, recieve a 20 mL bottle of Hagina Japanese Mint oil --FREE!

Japanese Mint Oil is a great stocking stuffer that has a multitude of uses. From easing headache pain to muscle cramp relief, it's a great natural liniment that smells good too.

Come into Klinik to finish your Christmas shopping today!

Stay Healthy this Winter with 5 Easy Tips!

Winter tends to be the time for cold and flu season. With colder temperatures and more rain-- our bodies are more suseptible to lingering pathogens, compounded by busy holiday schedules, unhealthy habits and stress, that can make your body feel worse. Try the following tips for a healthier holiday season and find more time and energy to spend with family and friends instead of sick in bed!

1. Avoid colds and flus by washing hands thoroughly. This alone will combat so many viruses and prevent transmission of unwanted germs.

2. Drink plenty of fluids-- Ginger root tea helps to warm the body and flush out toxins. Grate a thumb's size amount of ginger into 2 cups of boiling water and drink. Not only will this help with colds and flu, it's also great to help nausea.

3. Get plenty of sleep -- adequate and undisturbed rest will help promote a healthy immune system, and help fight off lingering pathogens that much faster.

4. Practice healthy stress prevention techniques --even though the holidays can be a busy time of year, it is important to manage stress properly with regular relaxation techniques. Trying meditation, yoga, or breathing techniques are so much better for your system than reaching for that sugar cookie or the last beer, as refined sugar can weaken the immune system. Regular exercise will also help strengthen the immune system.

5. Visit your Registered Acupuncturist BEFORE symptoms appear. Acupuncture works very well to help boost the immune system and diminish stress even before pathogens have a chance to strike, boosting one's energy to combat germs naturally with no side-effects. Visiting your acupuncturist once the cold or flu has already set in, will help reduce symptoms and speed up recovery time.

*Remember! Colds are caused by viruses, there is no medication available for the 300+ viruses that can cause a cold. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to go to the Doctor to be given a prescription for antibiotics that can cause harmful side-effects. Antibiotics treat bacteria. With adequate rest and liquids, diminished stress, it will eventually go away on it's own. A visit to your acupuncturist will speed this process along so you can get out of bed and enjoy the Winter season!

Protecting the 'least among us'

By Brian Lindstrom and published by the Oregonian, 11/9/2010



I was recently in Germany and Denmark documenting innovative uses of acupuncture in the treatment of mental illness and drug addiction. What I encountered brought into sharp focus what would be available to us if we as a society prioritized the well-being of children and people suffering from mental illness and addiction.



About an hour outside of Hamburg, a man by the name of Wolfgang gave me a tour of the residential drug treatment center he runs. It resembles a quaint boarding school, possessing none of the institutional drabness I've come to expect after filming in Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Ohio. Wolfgang's clinic uses only acupuncture-no medications- in treating drug withdrawl. Through an interpreter, a 35-year-old female crack addict told me this approach "calms and focuses me, greatly reduces my symptoms and cravings, and makes me think the answer to healing my addiction is within me, and is accessed through acupuncture."



I asked Wolfgang how long addicts typically had to wait for admission into his clinic. He didn't understand my question, so I asked again. As I was about to ask a third time, it dawned on me the confusion wasn't due to language, but to Wolfgang's inability as a physician to comprehend why any patient should have to wait for treatment.



I explained to him that in Portland, people sleep outside every night of the year in hopes of being admitted to Hooper Detox the following morning. Because of space limitations, many are turned away. It's common for an addict to try five or six times before getting admitted. Wolfgang looked at me in stunned silence, then sadly shook his head.



In Copenhagen, I filmed Mette, a psychiatric nurse and acupuncturist as she visited "social psychiatric" organizations - neighbourhood homes turned into drop-in centers - using acupuncture to treat mental illness. The acupuncture, often done in small groups, and the homey atmosphere help create a sense of warmth and community. At one of the homes, a woman was in the kitchen making a cake to celebrate her first bridge crossing in four years -- an important victory over one of her phobias. Later, she shared the cake with another woman who, after giving birth to her third child, suffered such severe post-partem depression that she couldn't adequately care for her newborn. Now, after the benefits of social psychiatry, she is able to mother her baby.



The next morning, Mette and I drove her 13-year-old son, Jakob, to school. The school started like any other, with all the students (ranging in age from 5-15) and the teachers in the gym for morning assembly. "Smoking is Crap," a song written by one of the classes, was sung by the entire assembly. Next the principal, a vibrant woman in her 60s, called a 13-year-old boy to the front of the gym. She warmly put her arm around him and extolled a detailed list of his virtues and accomplishments. Then everyone sang him "Happy Birthday". He smiled deeply, hugged the principal and sat down. Next, a five-year-old girl stood up and explained that she had lost a ninja turtle toy and would like it returned in case any one found it. You could tell it was hers, she explained, because she wrote her name on the toy turtle's foot.



I was struck by the focus and calm of the assembled students, who numbered about 75. There was no name-calling, no texting or disciplinary problems, and the maturity of the older students was demonstrated by the 5-year-old girl's complete confidence that her missing toy alert would be taken seriously. And it was.



The classes at the school have no more than 20 students, and music, art and P.E. are required daily. In summer, there is a six-week vacation. I asked Mette what it costs to send Jakob to the school, bracing myself for Catlin Gabel-like numbers. "Two hundred dollars a month, " she answered. I resisted the urge to inquire about Denmark's immigration policy.



My wife and I are self-employed. We paid more than $14,000 last year in health insurance and medical bills. One of our two children sees an occupational therapist for one hour a week. Our insurance company just informed us that it will no longer cover any such visits for the rest of this year. Paying out of pocket, our bill will be $425 a week, but the visits have helped our child make great strides in both fine and gross motor skills.



The relevant question here isn't: "What should my wife and I do?" or "What should you do?" The question that must be asked is why are any of us content with health care and educational systems that make a mockery of what seems to me to be the purpose of any worthwhile government or society: to protect the "least among us," in this case of our children and people suffering from mental illness and addiction.



I'm reminded of the old Talmudic saying: "If I am not for me, who will be for myself? If I am for myself only, what am I? If not now, when?"



Brian Lindstrom is a Portland filmmaker and director of the upcoming documentary: Alien Boy: The death and life of James Chasse.



In Vancouver, we do have social programs available for addicts and those who suffer with severe mental illness. The sad fact is that typically the wait-list is so long, many people can't access the help they need. There are a few community-based acupuncture clinics in and around Vancouver that offer accessible treatments within an open space. This type of acupuncture utilizes distal points in a community environment at a fraction of the price. Quite often the NADA five-needle protocol is used along with other supplementation points. NADA has had very good results with treating addictions, helping calm the mind and allowing the patient to focus better. Treatment involves five points on the surface of the ear (shenmen, sympathetic nerve, kidney, lung and liver), administered by a NADA "acudetox specialist". Klinik is not set-up for community acupuncture but the NADA protocol is offered to those patients who are looking for an alternative -- and treatments are available on a sliding scale to those who can't afford to pay for full treatments.

Acupuncture can Ease Shoulder & Neck Tension

It seems like this is the time of year when muscles are more prone to contract, pain in the upper back and neck region sets in. Whether it's due to colder temperatures causing us to bring our shoulders up around our ears, or forgetting to close windows at night allowing muscles to contract when the body temperature lowers as we sleep, or stress that compounds in that area-- neck and shoulder tension sets in!

Acupuncture is a great tool along with a lot of different modalities for easing musculo-skeletal pain in the upper body.

*Acupuncture itself helps to release local Qi (energy) and blood stagnation which can manifest as neck rigidity and tension, compromising movement.

*Cupping techniques allow for more oxygen to flow through the area and improve circulation of the tissues to release tension.

*Moxabustion aids by warming the needle and bringing more energy into the tissues to also help release tight muscles.

*"Tuina" is a form of massage that manipulates soft tissue in the area, increasing blood flow, easing tension and allowing for more movement.

All of these techniques help ease pain and also work as a preventative measure, especially when used in combination with regular stretching, breathing techniques and exercise.

Contact your Registered Acupuncturist to help ease neck soreness and muscle tension.

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