Blossom Clinic opens in NE Portland
Liz Richards, LAc, opened the doors to beautiful Blossom Clinic in June.
Where did you come up with the name “Blossom”?
The name blossom came to me one night as I was explaining my vision for a clinic to my husband. It just felt right. I love the idea of something growing and blossoming from the deep ground up. Every one of us has the potential to be whatever we dream of being. It is my job to facilitate that growth help people move through change as gracefully as possible. I work hard to set up a good foundation for treatment and then solidify a plan for the future. It is hard work to break that ground but once that crack is formed, anything is possible.
Blossom also has a special connotation to me personally as a women’s heath practitioner. Being a woman is all about transformation and growth. I primarily see patients who are pregnant or trying to conceive. It is an honor to see my female fertility patients get pregnant, bloom into pregnancy, and then grow as a parent.
What types of treatments are offered at Blossom clinic?
Right now Blossom Clinic is providing Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Massage, Amma Therapy (Asian Bodywork), and Nutrition consultations. It is my goal as owner of Blossom to provide the best care within the context of womens health, reproductive health, and family healthcare. Whether you are interested in a relaxing massage of an invigorating one, Blossom can provide that. Interested in doing a cleanse or learning more about foods that are good for you? We would love to chat with you.
The practitioners at Blossom are some of the best in their fields so when you come here, you know that you will be well taken care of. Each practitioner at Blossom owns their own business and has their own area of specialty. Blossom is their umbrella, and we are here to help them with the business ends of things so that they can focus on their patients 100%. We offer free phone or in-house consultations and refer patients regularly if we believe we do not have an acupuncturist, practitioner, or massage therapist who is the right fit for you.
Can you tell us about Blossom Blog?
I love Blossom Blog, partially because I created it all by myself and it is a creative outlet for me. It is not perfect but I figure if I can reach just one person a day and help them, then I have done my job. One of my favorite blogs is one in which I interview a mom who had her twins vaginally. I have had such great feedback about how this helped people realize that they can establish their birth preferences without going straight towards scheduling a C-section. I personally had a c-section and a vaginal birth, and I know that when it comes to labor and delivery, things do not always go as planned.
My goal is not to tell people what is right and wrong, but to empower people and provide food for thought. I love answering the Frequenly Asked Questions about acupuncture and fertility, and I hope to catch people before they are far on the road of trying to conceive. I think acupuncture in conjunction Assisted Reproductive Technology and on the day of IVF embryo transfer is also very important.
You can find Liz at Blossom Clinic:
Monday- Friday 9-5
Saturday 9-2
3531 NE 15th Avenue, Suite A
Portland, Oregon 97212
503.287.0886
www.blossomclinic.net
www.blossomclinic.wordpress.com
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What Can Acupuncture Treat? Stress and Anxiety in Pregnancy
Pregnant Belly by kellyandapril
There are many reasons a woman maybe feeling stressed during her pregnancy. It’s a time of change and growth within your body and withing your community. With these changes (not to mention hormones) may come added stress and anxiety about the health of the baby, relationships with family members, and the birth of the child. Using acupuncture is a drug-free method to help with your ever-changing emotions and other conditions that you may encounter during pregnancy (see previous post).
This article from Pregnancy Today is a great resource for mothers-to-be who may be nervous about trying acupuncture for symptom relief. Read the sections about a successful induction, a case where acupuncture stopped postpartum bleeding using a single acupoint, and how acupuncture can help with postpartum care.
Acupuncture can help you to enjoy a happy and healthy pregnancy, so be sure to find someone who is right for you, and who you are comfortable with. For a list of questions to ask when looking for a practitioner, read Acupuncture Health blogs post- ‘Choosing the Right Acupuncturist.‘
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Acupuncture and Heartburn in Pregnancy
Pregnancy Photo by J. Star
The Chinese Medicine Times recently reviewed a study of acupuncture for symptoms of heartburn in pregnant women with positive results. The outcome of of treating 36 women – half with the standard treatment (medication and dietary advice), and half with acupuncture. Those receiving acupuncture were treated once or twice a week with drastically reduced symptoms.
The reason heartburn occurs in pregnancy is due to the hormone changes, mainly pregesterone, a hormone produces by the placenta. Progesterone relaxes the smooth muscle of the uterus, but is also relaxes the sphinter that keeps stomach acid out of your esophagus. The growing baby also pushes stomach acid back up where it wasn’t before. Even women who have never experienced heartburn may feel uncomfortable during pregnancy.
Besides treating heartburn, there is a long list of conditions acupuncture can treat during pregnancy (fatigue, morning sickness, and constipation to name a few). I recommend reading the article by Naomi Rabinowitz, Dipl.Ac., at acufinder.com. to read her views on how to treat these symptoms. It’s also important to find a pracitioner who is comfortable treating pregnant women, check out tcmdirectory.com or acufinder.com.
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Tuina in Chinese Medicine Treatments
Tuina is a massage form from China that is part of our training as acupuncture practitioners. It is a deep tissue massage that uses several different techniques (rolling, scrubbing, and grasping to name a few). The techniques are the same, but practitioners can use stronger or a gentler movements according the patient preference. Tuina is used for sports injuries, repetitive motion pain, back and shoulder pain, knee and elbow pain, and even hernias.
“Tui” means pushing, and “Na” means grasping. Tuina is a form of massage used by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners that is closer to a deep-tissue massage than Shiatsu. It is used in order to help relax the tendons and muscles, while opening the channels that flow through the body. Tuina is helpful with increasing blood circulation to alleviate pain, relieving muscle spasms, and gently breaking up adhesions in the muscles and scar tissue.
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Acupuncture in Oregon: Kam Wah Chung
Photo by oregonianphoto
Seeing that I am an Oregon native, I was surprised to hear of a Chinese medicine apothecary in Eastern Oregon that I didn’t know about (I’m usually up on these things…). The herbal clinic, which has been restored and is now a museum called Kam Wah Chung, where Ing “Doc” Hay had his herbal clinic. Ing Hay left John Day in the early 1900’s, but left behind his various Chinese medicine tinctures, herbs, and tools he used to distribute the herbal remedies.
Watch the video of how this clinic came to be in John Day at the Oregon Public Broadcasting website – I am amazed at how well this herbalist worked the ancient medicine, and how the people of John Day appreciated him and his medicine. You can also read about it here.
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Acupuncture and Smoking
Photo by Fernando Gregory
Smoking is an addictive habit for 43.4 million adults in the United States. That’s a lot of people, and even more that are affected by the habit just by spending time with smokers. Even with the constant ads to stop smoking, warnings on cigarette packs, and several state laws that ban smoking, the numbers aren’t decreasing fast enough. The most difficult idea to comprehend is how much smoking affects not only the body of the smoker, but those they love. There are over 440, o00 deaths per per year that are related to smoking, not including the affects of secondhand smoke (check the CDC report for more information).
There is a protocol used when treating addiction that was developed several years ago, and has been proven to help with additions. This five-point auricular protocol is the Heart/Lung, Kidney, Sympathetic, Liver, and Shen Men (spirit) points. Together they rid the body of toxins, calm the mind, and help clear out the lungs, and help stop cravings. Often ear seeds are used at the points the needles were placed in to continue the effects.
A patient will be given handouts with ideas on how to quit the physical habit of smoking, and information on how to find a smoking cessation support group. Our clinic also has herbal formulas such as EasePlus, which helps with digestion and elimination, a large part of removing toxins from the body. Getting rid of the pollution in the body gives you more time and energy to develop healthier habits and an improved lifestyle.
Watch the video below for a smoking cessation treatment.
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Naturopathic Medicine Discussion on OPB
Photo by educationdynamics
A very interesting and informative discussion about the bill that will allow Naturopathic doctors (ND) to prescribe synthetic drugs is on OPB’s “Think Out Loud” program. It aired today (June 16, 2009) from 9-10 AM. The title of this program is “Natural Medicine?” and there are two ND’s (Dr. Igor Schwartzman and Dr. Mitch Stargrove)who give their opinion on this bill and how it will affect their practice.
Check out the article here , and be sure to listen to the show!
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What Can Acupuncture Treat? Endometriosis
Photo by Thunderchild tm
Endometriosis is a condition that affects millions of women. It is is the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, which causes pain during the menstrual cycle. This occurs becuase the endometrial tissue is supposed to shed every month, and if it isn’t in the uterus, the tissue essentially “stagnates,” and causes pain. Endometriosis is usually diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 40, but can begin as a young as the teenage years. Forty percent of women are symptom-free and don’t even realize they have it. The other sixty percent are well aware of the symptoms, which include mild to severe pain in the lower abdomen during the menstrual cycle, heavy bleeding, and even infertility.
Western medicine does not have a cure for endometriosis, but offers prescription drugs and laparoscopic surgery as an option to stop the pain. While it may stop the pain, this method doesn’t address the inflammation that is occurs throughout the body with each cycle.
Acupuncture points and Chinese herbal medicine help soothe the pain, reduce inflammation, and help reduce the heavy monthly bleeding. The diagnosis of endometriosis is Blood Stagnation (which is exactly what is sounds like), but there is often either excess Heat or Cold in the body. The practitioner will use acupoints to treat all of these symptoms.
Herbal formulas will be prescribed at specific times in the woman’s menstrual cycle. One formula can be taken just after the menstrual cycle begins, and another after ovulation (or mid-cycle).
Randine Lewis’s book, The Infertility Cure, is one of the best resources I have found for information about acupuncture, Western and Chinese herbs, and endometriosis. Read her book for more extenstive information on endometriosis.
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What can Acupuncture Treat? Asthma
Asthma: www.medical-explorer.com/asthma.php
Asthma is a condition that affects over 162 million adults and 6.7 million children in the United States. This is a serious disease which needs treatment, and something I have personally been dealing with for the past 10 years. By seeking regular acupuncture and herbal medicine to control the asthma symptoms, I was able to dramatically reduce the amount of Western medication I was taking.
I recommend the use of acupuncture and herbal medicine for asthma, and have had success in treating patients as well as being treated myself. NOTE: A severe attack will need immediate treatment from a Western medical doctor or possibly a visit to the emergency room. If the symptoms are severe (wheezing, blue lips and fingers, possible dizziness), seek immediate help.
Treating the “branch,” or the symptoms of wheezing and coughing, instead of the “root” (the true underlying cause of the illness) is necessary in order to manage the initial symptoms, but in Traditional Chinese medicine, we need to address the true cause of the asthma. While this a a disease which one may have for a lifetime, the symptoms are manageable. It will take more than a few treatments and regular consumption of herbs, so don’t be discouraged and visit your practitioner regularly!
Read the rest of this entry »
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Top 5 Chinese Herbal Formulas
Chinese herbal medicine is becoming more widely used in American than ever before. Even the skeptics are reaching for the cold remedy Yin Qiao San and drinking ginger tea before digging out the decongestants.
Most Chinese herbal formulas are now available in pill forms as well as the powdered forms. While it’s best to use a powdered formula (the amount of each herb can be specially formulated for the individual), the pill form of the herb is also effective. What matters most is which form the patient will actually take!
According to the website To Your Heath, the top five most prescribed formulas for basic health issues are:
Gui Zhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction)-Induces sweating to fight off a cold
Ping Wei San (Clear Stomach Formula)- To move the energy of the body and help with stomach problems
Xiao Yao San (Free and Easy Wanderer)- Moves blood and energy in the body and often used for PMS symptoms and stress
Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (Tonify the Middle Decoction)- To support the energy of the body
Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction)- For lingering colds with alternating chills and fever, and helps with liver function
To see more on each formula, check out this article.
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