Clinic Reopening Part 2: Treating Disharmony Patterns, On-line Yoga Therapy,

It's been two weeks since we reopened the clinic after the mandatory COVID-19 shutdown and shelter-in-place orders came down. All-in-all, our patient's report it has been a resounding success. Some of our patients are in high-risk groups and are still concerned about leaving home or getting out in general. We understand and want to reassure them and our community we are doing our part to make our clinic environment safer and healthier than ever before.

We're all getting used to wearing masks. We want to take the opportunity to thank you all for your help in making our clinic safe and healthy for everyone. Also, the pace here at the office is slower with our schedule only having one patient in the office at a time. We're spending more time cleaning surfaces, such as doorknobs, countertops, and really every surface touched by us and our patients. One aspect that hasn't changed is our commitment to make our office and treatments feel safe and healthy while you're here.

Our compound herbal pharmacy has been very busy lately. As always, we're committed to investing in the raw herbal ingredients necessary to meet the needs of our patients and our community, as a whole. Our patients are requesting herbal remedies to address a variety of needs. Conditions such as ongoing anti-viral and anti-bacterial solutions are at the top of the list. Texas has been in the throes of an intense allergy season for the last several weeks, resulting in the need for customized herbal solutions for a variety of allergy symptoms. Fortunately, we have all the specific herbal ingredients needed to treat the various allergy symptoms Texas has to offer.

Most patients are surprised to see the quantity of the herbs in our pharmacy and discover we have herbs to treat nearly everything that they would get a prescription or over-the-counter drug for. Chinese medicine has a history that spans 8,000-10,000 years and has the ability to treat, literally, thousands of conditions. In fact for those that wish to avoid acupuncture, there is most likely, an herbal alternative.

Some of the most common conditions patients are seeking acupuncture for can also be treated with a customized compounded herbal formulas:

Stress
Anxiety
Insomnia
Muscle pain
Allergies
Hormone imbalances
Joint pain
Hypertension
High Cholesterol
Hyperglycemia
Hypoglycemia
Depression
Headaches and Migraines
Acid Reflux
Dizziness and Vertigo
Neck pain
Low back pain
PTSD
Postoperative and traumatic injury recovery
Cardiovascular problems
Kidney disease
Constipation and diarrhea
Acne
Asthma
Bells Palsy
Infertility
Fibromyalgia
Chemical dependency
RSD and CRPS
Colitis
Crohn's
Irritable Bowel Syndrome

These are a few examples of conditions we've treated in just the last few months!

Some of the questions we often hear from patients:

How do you determine which herbs are best for me and the medical conditions I'm interested in treating?

This is a great question! There is a huge difference between western medicine, western herbal medicine, and Chinese medicine. Western medicine and western herbal medicine tend to focus on treating symptoms and act more like a band-aid approach. Chinese medicine looks past the symptoms at the underlying root causes to treat symptoms at their root. Chinese medicine recognizes there are underlying patterns of disharmony that are causing all diseases, disorders, conditions, and symptoms. Accordingly, the correct treatment principle is to identify the patterns and treat the pattern rather than band-aiding the symptoms.

How do I find out the patterns of disharmony in my body responsible for my health conditions and symptoms?

Another difference between western and eastern medicines is the diagnostic techniques used. Western medicine uses labs (i.e.: blood analysis, urinalysis, etc.) and imaging (x-ray, MRI, CAT scan, PET scan, etc.). Since Chinese medicine, traditionally, did not have access to these techniques the ancient doctors had to come up with diagnostic techniques that accurately represent the patterns of disharmony present in the patient. These techniques, though thousands of years old are still used today and can even be more comprehensive than modern techniques.

The predominant technique for determining pattern disharmony is called Chinese pulse diagnosis. There are various styles of pulse diagnosis. Each method may take a different route but all tend to reach the same conclusion. Meridian Harmonics has developed a unique style of pulse diagnosis that combines ancient concepts with modern technology to aid in identifying a tremendous amount of information about patient's conditions and the best course of action to treat them effectively and efficiently. This method is called the Pulse Matrix and was developed in 2003. It is a lot more involved than simply determining the heart rate. The Pulse Matrix provides a snapshot in time of what is happening currently inside the body and the disharmony patterns present. It allows us to determine the best treatment options for you. This snapshot is called the Pulse Image.

The human body is never in a stable state. It is constantly changing and adjusting to its environment. Your Pulse Image is constantly changing. Our goal is to provide treatment strategies to move your Pulse Image into a healthy balanced state. For some, this can take some time. It all depends on the severity of inflammation or metabolic sluggishness present in the body. We can help with lifestyle and diet recommendations that will enhance your progress rather than hinder it.

Herbal Appointment Scheduling

The best way to schedule an herbal appointment is to call or email us:

817-835-0885  (Please leave a message if we're with a patient and unable to answer the phone)

info@mhaom.com 

If you're not able to come to the clinic, personally, we're happy to do phone consultations or a telemedicine consult using Zoom. Let us know what works best for you. 

On-site herbal consultations are 30-45 minutes, for new patients and 15-20 minutes for established patients.

Online Yoga Therapy

Michelle is providing one-on-one or group online yoga therapy sessions using Zoom. Check out her website. To schedule a personalized yoga therapy session, email her at yogaharmonics@gmail.com

D. Mark Tryling, LAc., Dipl. AC, CH (NCCAOM)

Lic. AC00563 (TX Medical Board)

www.mhaom.com

Michelle Tryling, E-RYT, Yoga Therapy, Integrated Positional Therapy
www.yoga-harmonics.com

Meridian Harmonics - Harmony and Balance for your Good Health

Meridian Harmonics Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

2044 Bedford Rd.

Bedford, TX 76021

817-835-0885

Acupuncture Myths

Have You Heard These Acupuncture Myths?

As an acupuncturist, I do a lot of myth debunking. It’s understandable. After all, acupuncture speaks an entirely different language from the one through which most Westerners learned to see the world. However, with acupuncture continuing to grow in popularity and gain acceptance by mainstream medicine, it’s important to clarify a few myths and misconceptions that have a strong hold on our collective psyche.

Here are the five most common myths and misconceptions I hear about acupuncture.
“Acupuncture is only for pain.”

Ask most people what acupuncture helps with and the overwhelming majority will say pain. It is true that acupuncture can work wonders for back pain, headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, leg pain, postoperative pain, and pretty much any other kind of pain you can think of. However, pain is just one of many ailments for which acupuncture can provide relief.

Acupuncture alleviates digestive problems, menstrual irregularities, allergies, insomnia, stress and anxiety, asthma, and several other conditions. While many acupuncturists are generalists who treat a wide range of ailments, some specialize. So do a little homework before booking an appointment to find out whether an acupuncturist has experience treating whatever you need help with.

“Acupuncture doesn’t work because I’ve had it once and nothing changed.”

I hear this one a lot. It’s a myth that is easily debunked by thinking about your car. If you go for years without getting your car checked, when you take it to the mechanic it’s going to require more work than if you had come in for regular tune-ups. Similarly, if you’ve been experiencing back pain for six months, it will probably take more than one acupuncture treatment before you notice results.

After your first treatment, an acupuncturist usually will provide an estimate for how many treatments you’re likely to need. This is always an estimate because response times to acupuncture can vary widely, but it’s a good guideline.

Acupuncture is a cumulative process, much like going to the gym: You don’t start running faster or lifting heavier weights after just one trip. That said, most people notice at least some changes after 10 acupuncture treatments. If you haven’t seen any improvement after giving it 10 appointments, I suggest trying another acupuncturist.
“Acupuncture doesn’t work because we don’t know how it works.”

This is an understandable misconception. When it comes to concepts with which we are unfamiliar, it’s comforting to have solid proof. Although there is tentative evidence of acupuncture’s efficacy, definitive, Western-friendly proof of how acupuncture works is unavailable.

There is good reason for this. Controlled, double-blind trials are inappropriate for studying acupuncture. Most acupuncture research models look at a standard selection of acupuncture points to determine if they are effective for a certain condition. But from an acupuncture perspective, one condition can have several different causes—and therefore would require completely different acupuncture points.

Researchers are beginning to look at acupuncture using MRI. I believe this method of studying acupuncture is the most promising yet. Rather than concentrating on people’s perceptions, which can be misled by placebos or prejudices, the MRI studies look directly at how acupuncture changes brain activity. These MRI studies also address findings from previous research that show effects from fake or “sham” acupuncture. Through MRI, we know that both real and sham acupuncture relieve pain but that the effects on the brain are considerably different.

We may not know yet exactly how acupuncture works, but we are gaining a better understanding of the therapeutic effect that acupuncture causes.

“Acupuncture hurts.”

I disagree with acupuncturists who say that acupuncture needles are so thin you can’t even feel them. In my experience, most people feel acupuncture.

When needles are inserted in the right places, they often produce a feeling of heaviness, like a dull ache. Since this sensation is unfamiliar for most people who have never had acupuncture before, it’s commonly interpreted as pain.

If I describe this dull-achy feeling to people before beginning a treatment, they are less likely to experience the sensation as pain. They are prepared, which means their bodies are less tense. Often the “hurt” associated with acupuncture can be attributed to anxiety about the unknown.

I also make a point of telling my patients that acupuncture—rarely, but on occasion—can cause pain after a treatment. Sometimes needles in certain acupuncture points, after they’re removed, can cause a residual feeling of ache, almost like a bruise. When people understand ahead of time that this is a completely normal outcome, their perception of acupuncture as something that hurts seems to shift.

“Acupuncture is religious.” (Also known as “Acupuncture is voodoo.”)

I have been told, “I don’t believe in acupuncture because I’m a Christian.” Although it’s becoming less common as the general public gets more educated about acupuncture, the myth of acupuncture as a religion or supernatural phenomenon remains.

Acupuncture is not religious, nor is it voodoo. There is nothing supernatural or otherworldly happening during an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is a healthcare modality designed to help balance your body’s various, interconnected systems.

You don’t need to “believe” in acupuncture in order to experience its benefits because there is nothing to believe in.

I think some of the misinformation surrounding acupuncture’s origins and intentions stems from the word “qi,” which is often described as “vital energy.”

A better interpretation of what ancient Chinese practitioners meant by qi is simply oxygen. They understood that oxygen and nutrients were needed throughout the body in order for it to function properly. They called it qi and Blood, but acupuncture is merely a tool for moving the oxygen and nutrients that our bodies need to thrive.

For more information on acupuncture and Chinese medicine, check out my website.

Herbal Medicine: What it Is, What it Does

Herbal medicine is an integral component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is also one of the oldest (and most popular) forms of health care. Studies have shown that as much as 40% of all American adults use herbal products, with the amount of money spent on herbal remedies in this country each year in the tens of billions. The use of herbal medicine is even higher overseas, with some countries reporting a usage rate of 75% or greater.

The term "herbal medicine" refers to the use of a plant's seed, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers for medicinal purposes. While the scientific study of herbs in the United States began just over two centuries ago, herbs and botanical's have been used to treat a wide range of health problems in Asia for thousands of years.

When used to facilitate healing in chronic, ongoing problems, herbal medicine has a great deal to offer. Studies have shown that herbal products can treat a variety of conditions, including colds, digestive disorders, insomnia, headaches, arthritis, skin disorders, asthma, and a host of other problems usually treated with pharmaceuticals and prescription medications.

INSOMNIA

For example, patient complaints of insomnia are on the rise. Various factors contribute to insomnia in its three basic forms: 1) difficulty getting to sleep, 2) difficulty staying asleep once waking and 3) a combination of these two. Acupuncture itself can offer great relief for insomnia sufferers. However, most patients are not going to receive acupuncture treatments on a daily basis. 

In most cases, I like to combine acupuncture with a customized herbal solution to address their problem. Chinese herbs can be used on a daily basis to treat many health conditions, especially insomnia. Chinese herbs are very affordable. A single daily dose of customized herbal remedies can cost less than a pack of cigarettes! 

Prescription drugs to treat insomnia can be very effective. Unfortunately, all drugs have various side affects and may interact with other medications. Typical side affects of insomnia medications are: Diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness (including daytime drowsiness); "drugged" feeling; dry mouth; headache; nausea; nose or throat irritation; sluggishness; stomach upset; weakness. 

More SEVERE side affects can include: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the hands, legs, mouth, face, lips, eyes, throat, or tongue; throat closing; unusual hoarseness); abnormal thinking; behavior changes; chest pain; confusion; decreased coordination; difficulty swallowing or breathing; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; memory problems (e.g., memory loss); mental or mood changes (e.g., aggression, agitation, anxiety); new or worsening depression; severe dizziness; shortness of breath; suicidal thoughts or actions; vision changes.

Most patients want to minimize their number of medications, side affects and drug interactions. Integrating Chinese herbal medicine into their lifestyle can easily do this. The nice thing about Chinese herbs is they’re safe, effective and actually treat the root causes of a particular problem, as well as the symptoms. Chinese herbs help to restore balance to the body’s internal organs, regulate blood flow throughout the body, strengthen the immune system, increase energy, reduce stress and provide a deep sense of health and wellness.

Meridian Harmonics

Signs & Symptoms of Exterior Pathogenic Cold

Cold is prevalent in winter. It usually attacks the body when the temperature is low and one fails to adapt oneself to the change by dressing properly. Pathogenic Cold may attack the Exterior of the body or invade the interior of the body directly. Diseases in the former case are called affliction of pathogenic Cold, and those in the latter case, direct attack of Cold on the interior.

Pathogenic Cold has the following features:

First, being a Yin pathogen, Cold tends to impair Yang Qi. Cold is the prevalent climate in winter, in which Yin Qi of nature is flourishing, so it is a Yin pathogen. Like attracts like. So Yin of the body will become hyperactive in the case of invasion of Cold and Yang Qi is over-restricted. For example, Cold attacking the Exterior often obstructs Defensive Qi (the immune system), leading to failure of the Exterior to be warmed and resultant chills. Direct attack of Cold on the Spleen and Stomach usually cause Cold pain in the abdomen, watery diarrhea, etc., meaning that Spleen Yang is impaired and its transforming and transporting actions are disturbed.

Second, cold is liable to cause coagulation of Blood and retention of Body Fluids. Blood and body fluids depend on the propelling effect of Yang Qi and a moderate temperature for their free circulation. If Cold invades the body, Yang Qi will be impaired and body temperature will be lowered. So the flow of Blood and Body Fluids will become sluggish, or even coagulated, which is clinically marked by pain. For example, rheumatic arthralgia is marked by Cold pain of the joints, which is usually severe and fixed.

Third, contracting nature of Cold. Cold often leads to inward movement of Qi, contraction of the muscle tissue and convulsion of tendons and vessels. If attacked by pathogenic Cold, the muscle tissue and the sweat pores will be closed, leading to obstruction of Defensive Qi, fever or chills and an absence of sweating. Cold Invasion into the vessels will cause coagulation of Qi and Blood and contraction of the vessels, leading to headache, pantalgia, tense pulse, etc. Inability of the limbs to flex and extend freely or Cold and numbness of the limbs will follow if the Cold attacks the Channels and joints and results in contraction of the tendons and Channels.

Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can be used to treat pathogenic Cold preventing it from creating more serious problems.

Meridian Harmonics