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Chinese medicine for ankle sprains and other exercise-induced injuries
As spring comes into full bloom with the approach of May, people are flocking outside to run, jump, play… and get injured. Such is life! So now is the perfect time to discuss the most common varieties of common exercise-induced injuries: the sprain and its sibling the strain. When you pull a muscle or roll…
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An introduction to acupuncture for acute pain
One day as a medical intern during my schooling, a faculty member came in for a treatment for acute pain. He had just rolled his ankle outward, which is the harder and more painful way, and it was swollen almost to the same size as his knee. He wanted to know if I knew how…
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WW Podcast episode 13 – Eric & Amanda talk about non-judgment in holistic healthcare
In this episode, I sat down with Amanda to talk about judgment, and non-judgment, in the holistic healthcare environment. In particular, we examine some of the things that commonly hold people back from getting care due to worries about judgment around: Body image, such as body hair, body odor or weight gain Social factors,…
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3 Vitals for Beautiful Skin – Part 1 – Antioxidants
Beautiful skin Big, bold words, that clearly identify what every person expects when they come in for a facial. Beautiful skin. Glowing skin. Working at a wellness clinic is wonderful for me as a skin care specialist. We have so many talented practitioners that educate their clients (and each other) on the importance of…
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The Effects of Compression: Binding, Chinese Medicine, and You
It’s a dilemma that trans-masculine people know all too well: the need to reduce the painful experience of dysphoria on the one hand, and concerns about longterm health on the other. At first, the decision is easy; we strap down our breast tissue somehow some way, whether with ace bangs, commercially-made binders or compression shirts.…
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Vitamin C, Skin and Collagen: A Story of Necessity
Vitamin C has always had its place in an esthetician’s tool belt. Why? It’s essential for our health on multiple levels. Many know it as a helpful ally in fighting off the ravages of cold and flu season. You may also remember that vitamin C is essential for fighting free radicals, which can cause cellular…
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Chronic pelvic pain, East Asian medicine & the LGBTQ+ community
The lower abdomen is sometimes referred to, in kinesthetic medicines of various kinds, as “the basement of the body”. It’s where issues that we can’t deal with at the moment, whether emotional or physical, get put so that can work on them later. Hopefully. This dynamic can be illustrated in a few ways: sexual assault…
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A basic primer on the Chinese medicine view on living seasonally
From a Chinese medicine perspective, it is essential that we learn to live in harmony with the seasons. There is, of course, no monolithic “Chinese medicine perspective” but all lineages and even more modern interpretations of Chinese medicine theory discuss the health benefits of seasonal awareness. The recent movement around local and seasonal foods is…
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The LGBTQ community, health outcomes & the importance of relationships in healthcare
In this moment, in this world, being a queer and/or trans person can feel really hard and scary. It can be hard to prioritize your health and well-being in a world that seems hell-bent on making your life terrible. I’ve written before about the utility that Chinese medicine has in treating anxiety, depression and chronic…
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Trapped underwater – kidney yang deficiency, cold & chronic pain
In the last installment of this series of articles, let us to turn to the all-important kidney yang. If you’ve missed them, you may want to check out some earlier articles in this series, such as this one about terror and the Chinese medicine heart, or this one about the liver and depression. As…
