Acupuncture as Longevity Medicine
Humans naturally want to live as long as possible. Living longer means your genetics have a higher chance of being passed on. As we entered the new millennia, humans had achieved record life spans. And yet, our lifestyles of convenience and comfort have created diseases of excess, and projected life expectancy has declined for the first time in human history.

How do we stay healthy, live longer and not succumb to a life of excess that leads to an early ending?
What is Auricular Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient practice that over time developed a variety of treatment methods. Korean acupuncture practitioners developed Koryo, a system where needles are placed almost solely on the hands, no matter the part of the body being treated. In Japan a focus on the face created a system of diagnosis and treatment targeting only this area of the body. A trusted and well-developed system which I have recently revisited, is auricular or ear acupuncture. Rather than focus on body and limb points for treatment, with additional ear points for relaxation, this method treats solely through the use of ear needles or ear seeds. Needles are used during the treatment and ear seeds are prescribed for continued at-home treatment. A vast number of health complaints can be successfully treated using only ear points.

Ear acupuncture was developed several thousand years ago. Utilized by most modern practitioners of Chinese medicine, it had fallen out of popularity until the 1970s when a French physician, Dr Paul Nogier “re-discovered” its usefulness in treating the body through somatic and visceral points. In China, Dr Li Chun Huang was on her way to medical school when she suffered an injury and was reassigned to the TCM department. Studying under a renowned auricular practitioner, she fell in love with the medicine and dedicated her career to advancing ear seed healing. As one of the most studied practitioners in TCM, I follow her work and use her methods regularly with my patients.

In auricular medicine, the whole body is mapped symbolically in the ear as a microsystem. Chinese doctors looked at this system in miniature as a version of the whole body. The ear looks like an upside-down fetus with the head at the bottom of the ear and the feet at the top. The “spine” runs down the side of the ear and the organs are mapped to the center by the ear canal. The organs on the upper part of the body, lungs and heart are near the bottom and the intestines wind around the top where the ear attaches. Auricular treatments apply needles or seeds to these areas to treat the corresponding areas on the larger body.
In treating patients I use ear points for relaxation and calming, anxiety and depression. I also treat infertility, tinnitus, skin diseases, cancer, digestion, and back pain through the ear. During treatment the points are needled as in traditional acupuncture, and patients are sent home with seeds to augment the treatment. These are actual seeds embedded in a small band-aid for application. Vaccaria seeds are most often used as their size and diameter fits well on the small ear areas. Metal points with clear sticky tape can also be used. I recently discovered sparkly rhinestone stickies for the ear points so you can look glamorous while healing!

I will sometimes treat a patient solely with ear seeds if they have previously used this treatment method and found success. I encourage anyone interested in trying this at home to first make an appointment at Acupuncture by Andrea to experience acupuncture along with ear seeding. It only takes a few seconds to apply the seeds, but they must be placed properly to achieve the healing effect. The ear microsystem contains many points, and a trained practitioner can most accurately determine placement. The seeds are usually left on for a week to avoid irritation on sensitive skin.

Ask about auricular acupuncture at your next appointment.
Frantic, Frenzied, Frazzled
It's back to school time, and we’ve got your back. Whether you’re stressed about school supplies and new teachers, or coping with increased traffic and busier stores, the return to school season can affect all of us. Chinese Medicine to the rescue! Acupuncture is an effective way for adults to calm their nerves after a stressful drop off or help prevent an afternoon snooze at work from an early start.
 
Young people respond well to acupuncture, too. I treat a lot of teens and pre-teens at the clinic. Great for boosting the immune system to prevent picking up viruses in the new school year, acupuncture is also a powerful alternative to medicating your little ones. Acupuncture and herbal medicines reduce anxiety and depression, and help regulate emotions, weight gain, and hormones with regular treatments.

We’ll help you make it through the school year with an A+ attitude. Schedule your treatment today.
Our Newest Massage Offering
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Pensacola where I attended a workshop on a new massage technique. Dan McGovern, the instructor taught the class for practitioners to “re-map” our brains on our approach to bodywork/massage. He introduced us to a massage with a lighter, easier touch, that achieved amazing results with less pressure.

Most clients I work with request a deep tissue massage with strong pressure. Very few ask for a light touch. Some clients have shared that they felt they were maximizing their massage through the intensity and strength of the touch. This is not always true. Through Dan’s teaching we used a minimal touch and created a soft and soothing, yet very powerful treatment. With a technique that gently rolls and rocks, it relieves pain by micro-releasing adhesions and stagnant tissue. We were all amazed at the reduction or elimination of pain we achieved after only a few days of practicing these techniques. Shoulder issues, leg and hip pain, low back tightness, rib and flank issues can all be addressed through this light and fantastically relaxing massage movement. 
 
I would encourage anyone who has tried the traditional deep tissue massage to experience this type of therapy. Request it as an addition to your usual massage to relieve long term pain. Or book a rolling massage for your full treatment time to experience a highly effective, less intensive massage.
 
Also relaxing were the beaches of Pensacola on Santa Rosa Island where the water was cool and clear and the sand was dazzling white. Beautiful, beachy Florida!
Emotional Work
I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief.
-CS Lewis

I usually close the newsletter with a quote that I have recently come across and found meaningful and insightful. I share the quote without explanation or background, hoping that you the reader will interpret it based on your own experiences and how it fits your current life.

This month, I wanted to give a little bit of background as this quote really resonated with me as a practitioner. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we treat all of the organ systems that are out of balance, but it seems we are forever working on the liver in most of our patients. The liver governs the movement of qi energy, and stagnant liver qi leads to anger. Grief is housed in the lungs, not the liver, but much like the liver they manage a large quantity of qi and blood flow. When grief slows us down, locking us into a traumatic moment in time, the work of the liver is simultaneously affected. When the liver is unable to move and perform daily activities for good health, it also affects our emotional health, manifesting in outbursts of anger. When we move from grief to anger, we begin to move toward healing.