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!

Help Holiday Stress with Acupuncture!

Holidays are coming... oh my!
I always encourage patients who may be prone to feeling a little down or find themselves frazzled during the holidays, to come in for a treatment prior to a stressful season. This helps to provide a sense of calm, and allows patients to re-energize so that they may be more prepared physically and mentally for all that the holidays may hold. Moderate exercise, a healthy diet, and relaxation techniques such as; deep breathing exercises or mediation, can also help to achieve a sense of balance during a busy holiday season.  Below is a great article I found that may help explain it better!

Treating Holiday Stress and Depression with Acupuncture
By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac.

According to Oriental medicine, the cold months of winter are the perfect time to recharge your battery and generate vital energy, or Qi, in order to live, look, and feel your best.

The ancient Chinese believed that human beings should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold and darkness of winter urges us to slow down. This is the time of year to reflect on health, replenish energy and conserve strength.

Ruled by the water element, winter is associated with the kidneys, bladder and adrenal glands. The kidneys are considered the source of all energy or “Qi” within the body. They store all of the reserve Qi in the body so that it can be used in times of stress and change, or to heal, prevent illness and age gracefully.

Winter is the season where all living things slow down, conserve their energy and prepare for the outburst of new life and energy in the spring.

Eat warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts to help warm the body’s core and to keep nourished. Sleep early, rest well, stay warm, and expend a minimum quantity of energy.

While optimal health and well-being in the winter season calls for rest, energy conservation and the revitalization of body and spirit, your holiday activities may have a different agenda.

The holidays can be filled with a dizzying array of demands, visitors, travel and frantic shopping trips. For many people, it is also a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness and anxiety. Compound the usual seasonal pressures with the constant barrage of bad economic news and you may find this to be one of the most emotionally trying times of the year.

Stress, anxiety and depression can cause a disruption in the flow of vital energy, or Qi, through the body. These energetic imbalances can throw off the immune system or cause symptoms of pain, sleep disturbances, abnormal digestion, headaches, and menstrual irregularities, and, over time, more serious illnesses can develop.

Acupuncture treatments can correct these imbalances and directly affect the way your body manages stress and your mental health.

Seasonal acupuncture treatments in winter serve to nurture and nourish kidney Qi which can greatly enhance the body's ability to thrive in times of stress, aid in healing, prevent illness and increase vitality.

4 Reasons why Ginger is so Amazing!

Ginger root -- Zingiber officinale --also known as Sheng jiang (in Chinese Medicine) or Galanga (if you happen to be in Thailand) is such a great herb for so many reasons; it is a natural, cost-effective way to stay healthy and keep warm this Autumn season!

1. Ginger is used as an AntiViral: there's nothing better to fight the cold and flu season than with a steaming cup of ginger root tea. Boiling a small pot of water with grated ginger is excellent to help ease a sore throat and sweat out toxins.

2. Ginger is great for lowering Blood Pressure and improves Circulation! Ginger works to thin the blood which ultimately lowers blood pressure and reduces the chance of blood clots. Ginger also dilates the blood vessels and prevents platelets from sticking to blood vessels.

3. Ginger is a natural antispasmodic which helps ease menstrual cramps or abdominal cramping with IBS.

4. Ginger is the best thing out there for Nausea! Any kind of nausea, whether it be motion sickness or morning sickness, a result from anaesthesia post-surgery or from chemotherapy treatments. Ginger is excellent for keeping nausea at bay.

Stop in and say Hi at Klinik where you'll always find a bowl of ginger chews in the reception area!

Green Tea protects against disability in the Elderly

A large, prospective cohort study carried out in Japanese seniors has found that consumption of green tea is significantly associated with a lower risk of developing functional disability (problems with daily activities, such as bathing or dressing).  Information on daily green tea consumption and other lifestyle factors was collected via questionnaire from 13,988 Japanese individuals aged 65 or over, and subjects were followed up for three years.  The results showed an inverse relationship between functional disability risk and the consumption of green tea - the more green tea people drank, the lower their disability risk. Nearly 13% of those who consumed less than one cup of green tea each day developed functional disability, compared to slightly more than 7% among those consuming five cups or more daily. (Green tea consumption and the risk of incident functional disability in elderly Japanese: the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Mar;95(3):732-9).